Temple ippd Nisan-Iyar 5771 - shirtikva.org · ippd Nisan-Iyar 5771 141 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA 01778 508-358-9992 Israel ReflectionsIsrael Reflections O ur

When G-d called to Abraham, he responded, “Hineni, Here I am.”

Temple Shir Tikva

May 2011

Nisan-Iyar 5771 ippd

www.shirtikva.org 141 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA 01778 508-358-9992

Israel ReflectionsIsrael ReflectionsIsrael ReflectionsIsrael Reflections

O ur recent adult trip to Israel (52 eager travelers from Shir Tikva!) was extraordinary, and you can see some

photos in this edition of Hineni. For ten days we explored the Land in all of its power, sublimity, and contradictions. It was a wonderful time to be there: Jerusalem was still vibrating from Purim; springtime had arrived in the Golan Heights; and the Gali-lee was blooming. Our participants challenged and supported one another in wonderful ways. I, for one, am still sorting through the implications of all we did and accomplished. But I can tell you this: When we use the watchword “Jewish Sacred Community” around the shul, I know that I’ve experienced it first hand, thanks to this remarkable group of individuals. There was nothing typical or standard about the itinerary we created. Our journey was full of adventures every single day, and much of what we did was challenging and provocative. I want to publicly thank every participant on our trip, each of whom put their trust in Cantor Schachner and me and allowed us to challenge assumptions and push people beyond their conven-tional comfort zones. We were also loyal shlichim for the Shir Tikva community. Many of you gave us Tzedakah money to distribute in Israel and

we did so carefully and thoughtfully. We also delivered sacks of kvittlach (written prayers) into the cracks of the Western Wall on behalf of many of the children in our Hebrew School. We brought items that our Hebrew School students had made to their partners at the Yizraeliya School in Haifa, just a few hours before they reconnected with each other via video conference. It was a spe-cial honor for me to speak on Shabbat evening from the bimah at our sister community Or Hadash in Haifa, who really rolled out the red carpet for us. All in all, we represented Shir Tikva well during our travels throughout Israel. During our trip, I found myself thinking of the children of Shir Tikva. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it many times in the future: Every Jewish high school student should spend a summer or

more in Israel before they graduate. We simply must be part-ners in recognizing that an intimacy with the State of Israel is an essential part of a Jewish education. Our team at Shir Tikva is here to help make it happen. For all the wonderful things that happen on a 10-day or two-week tour of Israel, exponentially more takes place when you have six weeks to get beneath the surface of the Jewish State and understand its character. (continued on page 4)

Rabbi Neal Gold

Temple Shir Tikva Presents

The 18TH Annual

DAVID SNYDER MEMORIAL CONCERT featuring

Sunday, May 15, 5 p.m.

Safam, the Boston based six-man band, has dominated Jewish music in America with their "Jewish-American Sound" since 1974. Often copied, never duplicated, their songs have become a fabric of our Jew-ish lives. They use many settings -- whether it is Rock & Roll, Pop, Folk, Latin, Chassidic or Cantorial -- to create their tapestry of music. Safam's eclectic approach to its music has enabled it to reach out to Jews of all ages and denominations. Refreshments will follow.

• Join us for a music filled afternoon designed for the whole family

• $25 for adults, $18 for children ages 13 – 18

• TST students under 13 are FREE with a paying adult

• Get your tickets NOW at www.shirtikva.org/Safam

Inside This Issue… Inside This Issue… Inside This Issue… Inside This Issue…

Shabbat & Holiday Services………………….2 Report from the Adult Israel Trip……..……...5

Congregational Learning……………………6-7

Religious School……………………………...8

Page of Study—Daf Limud…………………..9

Robyn Levy’s Israel Experience, Part 2…….10

Tikkun Olam………………………………...11

Gathering…………………………………….11

Youth Community…………………………..12

Shir Tikva Library….………………………..14

Page 2 Temple Shir Tikva

Hineni May 2011 Nisan-Iyar 5771

SSSShabbat and Holiday Services

Every Saturday morning:

Early Shacharit Service

followed by Torah Study

8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

May 2011

Shabbat Emor Friday, May 6 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service

Saturday, May 7

8:30 am Early Shacharit Service followed by Torah Study

9:30 am Shabbat Yeladim

10:45 am Late Shacharit Service

Bar Mitzvah

Shabbat Behar Friday, May 13 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh)

6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service

Saturday, May 14 8:30 am B’nai Mitzvah Torah Study 8:30 am Early Shacharit Service followed by Torah Study 10:45 am Late Shacharit Service

Bat Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah

Shabbat Bechukotai

Friday, May 20 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service with HS Graduation

Saturday, May 21


9:00 am Family Shabbat Service


B’nai Mitzvah

Shabbat Bamidbar Friday, May 27 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service

Saturday, May 28



Bat Mitzvah

June 2011

Shabbat Naso Friday, June 3 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service with Confirmation

Saturday June 4


9:30 am Shabbat Yeladim


Bar Mitzvah Tuesday, June 7

7:00 pm Tikkun Leil Shavuot Wednesday, June 8 10:00 am Yom Tov Shacharit Service with Yizkor

Shabbat Beha’alotecha

Friday, June 10 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh)

6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service and Board of Trustees

Installation

Saturday, June 11 8:30 am B’nai Mitzvah Torah Study 8:30 am Early Shacharit Service followed by Torah Study 10:45 am Late Shacharit Service

Bat Mitzvah Bat Mitzvah

Shabbat Shelach Friday, June 17 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service

Saturday, June 18


9:00 am Family Shabbat Service


Bat Mitzvah

Bat Mitzvah

Shabbat Korach Friday, June 24 6:00 pm Forshpeis (Nosh) 6:15 pm Simchat Shabbat Service

Saturday, June 25


Temple Shir Tikva Page 3

May 2011 Nisan-Iyar 5771 Hineni

From Our Rabbis and CantorFrom Our Rabbis and CantorFrom Our Rabbis and CantorFrom Our Rabbis and Cantor

We are eager to share in your times of joy and to support you in times of sadness. Please call us directly, or notify the Temple office, so we may extend timely friendship and comfort to you and your family.

Rabbi Neal Gold, Rabbi Greg Litcofsky Cantor Hollis Schachner

Rabbi Herman Blumberg, Emeritus

Otzar TST’s Judaica and Gift Shop

End-of-Year Sale May 22

9 a.m. to noon in the Temple Lobby

Handcrafted Judaica

• Gifts for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Home, Wedding or for yourself

• We have a full line of Ketubot and Judaic greeting cards

Open Sunday through Friday

Located in the Temple Lobby

Ask in the Office

SHIR TIKVA WARMLY INVITES YOU

TO CELEBRATE The Joyful Holiday of Shavuot

“The Season of the Giving of our Torah”

Tuesday, June 7, 7:00 p.m. to midnight

TIKKUN LEIL SHAVUOT

Come share in an inspiring night of Torah learning and discovery

that will nourish our hearts, minds, and souls

Our festive dessert buffet

will feature cheesecake and more

Wednesday, June 8, 10:00 a.m.

YOM TOV SHACHARIT SERVICE WITH YIZKOR

Bring the whole family

to hear the Ten Commandments chanted from the Torah

Celebrate ourCelebrate ourCelebrate ourCelebrate our

Graduating Seniors of 5771Graduating Seniors of 5771Graduating Seniors of 5771Graduating Seniors of 5771

Simchat Shabbat Simchat Shabbat Simchat Shabbat Simchat Shabbat ---- Friday, May 20 Friday, May 20 Friday, May 20 Friday, May 20 Hillel says:

• Do not separate yourself from the community.

• Do not be too sure of yourself until the day you die.

• Do not judge your friends until you are in their place.

• Say nothing that cannot be understood {at once},

supposing that in the end it will be understood.

• And do not say, “When I have the time I will study;

you may never have the time. Pirkei Avot 2:4

Chip Clarke Leah Nussbaum Zoë Corner Abigail Titlebaum Ari Goldberg Alexis Tonkel Alexander Kaye Rebecca Zarkower



Rabbi Neal GoldRabbi Neal GoldRabbi Neal GoldRabbi Neal Gold

(continued from page 1)

Many of our high school students will go to Israel this summer with their Jewish summer camps, and that’s great; how wonderful to go with camp friends whom they’ve known for years. Beyond that, I’m partisan for NFTY’s summer trips to Israel, because I believe the Re-form Jewish movement provides the highest-quality pro-grams that have the proper emphasis on education, reli-gious and Shabbat experiences, and unbridled fun.

For those students and their parents who want or desire a truly edifying experience for life, you should come and talk to me about longer-term study-in-Israel programs. The Reform Movement’s EIE program is a high school semester in Israel that includes immersion in Jewish his-tory, Israeli culture, and Hebrew, while simultaneously living on a kibbutz outside of Jerusalem and keeping up with all your secular studies. It is the definitive Jewish transformative experience for a high school student (you really can speak fluent Hebrew before graduation).

Other Shir Tikva students, including our current Shir Tikva Youth Scholar Robyn Levy, have participated in gap-year programs in Israel between high school and col-lege, such as the Young Judea Year Course. I know from experience that these students return to the States and achieve more success in college because of the depth and breadth of experiences that Israel has offered them.

If these programs sound exciting to you or to your high school student, consider this your invitation to come and meet with me. We have scholarships available and will do everything we can to get our students to Israel. The reason we care so much is completely self-serving: We know that these programs for our students are investments in our shared Jewish future.

Board of Trustees Meeting HighlightsBoard of Trustees Meeting HighlightsBoard of Trustees Meeting HighlightsBoard of Trustees Meeting Highlights

by Scott Machanic, Recording Secretary

In an effort to improve communications and to provide congregants with

more information about governance at Temple Shir Tikva, following is a

summary of the April 7 Board of Trustees meeting:

Rabbi’s Report: Rabbi Gold reported on the extraordinary trip to Israel in which 52 congregants engaged. Israel itself was sublime, fascinating, and frustrating. The travelers, who had been studying together since last fall, shared good humor and openness, with a theme of “What Israel means to me.”. On their second day in Israel, Jerusalem sustained its first terrorist at-tack in four years. They saw Robyn Levy, our student in residence in Israel, which reinforced Rabbi Gold’s belief in the value of a long-term educational experience Israel. Or Hadash, our sister community in Haifa, “rolled out the red carpet.” Their Rabbi, Edgar Nof, led services at Shir Tikva, on the same day that Rabbi Gold led services at Or Hadash. Our travelers exchanged pre-sents made by our school students, and delivered prayers from our school students to the Western Wall. Many thanks to Karen Langweber, Julie Pivor, Cantor Schachner, and others who helped plan or bring the trip to fruition. The New England regional AIPAC annual dinner was held last Sunday, April 3, and the honorees were TST congregants Jonathon and Joanna Jacobson. Finally, we are two weeks away from Pesach, reminding us that once we were slaves in Egypt, and today we are all free people. Executive Directors Report: The JCC preschool reports that people have begun to sign up for the extended program, and we've given the JCC a dollar figure for the extended hours, and it is likely to be a “go." Calendaring and budgeting for next year are continuing in earnest. President’s Remarks: A “yasher koach” to all involved with Joseph and the

Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which was terrific. Jewish Explorations Weekend, with scholar in residence Rabbi Norman Cohen, with great ses-sions led by an amazing teacher. The Purim celebration was fun for all, in-cluding the klezmer band. Brotherhood breakfast on men's health was super. Financial Report:. There was a discussion about the budget for the current year. The budget for the current fiscal year, 2010 - 2011, based upon a 2.5% increase in dues and fees, a projection of five net new families, and a 5% decrease in abatements. While we met the new family target, the abatements did not go down. Income from dues and fees are coming in a little below budget. Fundraising for the current year is well below budget at the present time. We will be rolling out a spring fundraising drive in April to try to make up the difference. There was also a preliminary discussion about the pro-posed budget for next year. The decline in revenues for the current year has caused concern about projections for revenue for next year. Efforts are being made now to address those issues. The proposed budget for next year will be presented to the Board at the May 5 meeting and then presented to the Con-gregation at the Annual Meeting on June 2. Cantorial Sabbatical: We are very close to reaching an agreement with the candidate on who we have focused our attentions. Tikkun Olam: MICAH has had two training sessions. They have decided to focus on youth issues. They are engaged in identifying the burning issues concerning our youth, and in April and May will have “house meetings” to nail down the specific issues to address. They hope to have one or two key initiatives in place by next fall. The Committee is hoping to revive Mitzvah Days next fall. A group of Shir Tikva members will be attending the RAC celebration in Washington, DC, in May, and on May 13, we will recognize our receipt of the Fain Award. On Friday, June 10, we will recognize and appreciate all of our Kesher volunteers. Announcements: The Shabbat service on June 10 will include installation of new Board members, and expressions of thanks for those whose service is ending. Website: Brian Levey reported that progress continues on the website devel-opment including feedback from the community on desires and suggestions.

Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class

IIII t’s never too late! Give yourself a

gift this coming year. Take hold of

what is yours…do something special

for yourself…sign up for the Adult

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class. Join Rabbi

Gold, Rabbi Litcofsky and Cantor

Schachner, as we learn together about

tefila, Shabbat, the holidays, and so much more.

Join us for an informational session on Sunday,

May 8, 9-10 a.m. to find out more about the class

that is forming in the Fall.

Contact Rabbi Greg Litcofsky at rabbilitcofsky@

shirtikva.org or at the temple office, 508-358-9992.



Our March 2011 Israel Journey Our March 2011 Israel Journey Our March 2011 Israel Journey Our March 2011 Israel Journey by Karen Langweber

On March 21, 52 members of the Temple Shir Tikva com-munity, met in the lobby of the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem. This was the culmination of an amazing journey that began on Janu-ary 31, 2010 when almost 35 people met in the living room of Karen & Matt Langweber to discuss a ‘possible’ adult-only trip to Israel.

The journey then took us to study sessions that focused on the ‘personalities’ old and new who make Israel what it is to-day. Some of these personalities were familiar to us and some were not, but all were interesting. We learned about Ahad Ha’am who wanted a Jewish State not a state of Jews, read and discussed the book Israel is Real by Rich Cohen, Eliezer ben Yehuda the founder of modern Hebrew, and the poetry of Ye-huda Halevi.

The journey continued as we experienced the trip on two levels – first on the personal level; individually as tourists, Jews, lovers of Israel, and discovered what Israel means to us and what we hope to find out both about Israel and ourselves.

Second on the community level; we learned that TST is an amazing and sacred community. It was amazing and gratifying to all of us to realize that, even though we didn’t all know each other before we left, we bonded, were happy to be together, cared for each other and took care of each other. Our sense of community has been strengthened in immeasurable ways.

Our adventure ‘officially’ started at the Montefiore Wind-mill as we gathered together as a group to say the Shehechi-yanu blessing. Robyn Levy, a Shir Tikva member studying for a year at Hebrew University, joined us for dinner and our first speaker, sociologist Paul Liptz…and we were off and running!

What people are saying:

Our heads were spinning with the different points of view — we saw and spoke to residents of Jerusalem, Haifa, Judea and Samaria, Golan Heights, Eilat, Jordan – Arabs, Mus-lims, haredi Jews, secular Jews, soldiers and veterans. We had emotionally charged discussions and were amazed by the zeal with which each person espoused their philosophy.

A highlight of the trip was seeing how bright the Israel economy is. It is so hopeful and juxtaposed by the ancient his-tory – we walked the streets of Jerusalem and touched the Ko-tel, wondering if our relatives had done so and then the next day heard about the amazing things that are going on in the high tech industry in Israel. They are giving Silicon Valley a run!

I felt such a strong connection to Israel once I was there-especially when we went to the Wailing Wall. It's hard to sum this up in a "bullet point" but I feel that... Israel is now "my country" not just a country that I support so that Jews will al-ways have a place to live.

We had the pleasure of having dinner one evening with sev-eral members of the IDF stationed in the Golan Heights. I was so surprised by the youth of the military – they are so young and yet so tough at the same time. The responsibility that these young people have is amazing and the maturity with which they approach it is fantastic.

This was the one travel experience that will stay with us forever.

A real highlight was celebrating Havdallah on Mt. Car-

mel in Haifa, on a promenade overlooking the Mediterranean. It was beautiful and moving and it felt so right.

For those who extended the trip to Petra, it was a fascinating experience. We found the ruins at Petra amazing and the Jor-danians warm and friendly. However, the feeling when we crossed the border back into Israel was one of coming ‘home’. I think we were all a bit surprised by that.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 29, our group of 52 experienced the May 14, 1948 signing of the declaration that created the State of Israel. As we sat in Independence Hall we heard David Ben Gurion’s declaration and joined in as the re-cording of the spontaneous singing of Hatkivah rang out. This moment was made especially poignant as this was the moment that our journey officially ended. Twenty of our group left for home and 32 of us continued on to Eilat and Petra.

The adventure may be over but the journey continues as the processing goes on…

Jim Shane, Karen and Matt Langweber and

Julie Pivor were among the 52 members of

our community who traveled together in

Israel in March. See stories in this issue.



jepig � Congregational Learning

Angels of Austria :Angels of Austria :Angels of Austria :Angels of Austria : The Church That Reached Out The Church That Reached Out The Church That Reached Out The Church That Reached Out

To Holocaust Survivors To Holocaust Survivors To Holocaust Survivors To Holocaust Survivors

A Personal Documentary by Judy C. Faust

May 1, 9 a.m., followed by

Yom HaShoah Remembrance Ceremony at 10:30

All her adult life in America, Trudy, a Jewish refugee from Austria, blamed herself for failing to rescue her father from the Nazis. In 1995, she received an invitation from the Ichthys church in Austria, asking her to return to her hometown to befriend and perhaps forgive descendants of the Nazi Regime.

But how can Trudy forgive them, when she hasn't even for-given herself? Is it possible to heal from the Holocaust? Her daughter, Judy Faust, shares the story and explores the challeng-ing and rewarding journey to forgiveness.

Judy C. Faust is founder of “What's Your Story”—an educa-tional service that connects family stories to history and the arts. In addition to her documentary, Angels of Austria, she has written a book on her family story called, Waltzing with Papa: Three Generations to Healing, and offers several other workshops on related subjects. She is also a personal historian, helping others to tell their story in DVD form.

Following Judy’s presentation, we will enter the sanctuary for Shir Tikva’s Yom HaShoah Memorial observance at 10:30 a.m.

Cemeteries Are for the LivingCemeteries Are for the LivingCemeteries Are for the LivingCemeteries Are for the Living

An educational program at the historic

Framingham/Natick Jewish Cemetery

Sunday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.

With over 25 years experience in caring, restoring and en-suring the continuity of Jewish cemeteries in Massachusetts, JCAM (Jewish Cemeteries Association of Massachusetts) is uniquely qualified to bring a new dimension into your Jewish education.

Learn:

• What makes a cemetery Jewish?

• What do the various headstone iconographies mean?

• What are the origins for leaving visitation stones and other Jewish cemetery customs?

• How did Jewish cemeteries get their names?

• Why do we bury sacred books and Torah scrolls? And much more!

Lisa Berenson, Director of Educational Programming & Development, JCAM Charitable Foundation, is leading our tour.. We will meet Lisa at 9:30 am at the historic Framing-ham/Natick Jewish Cemetery. To take advantage of this learn-ing opportunity, a minimum of 10 adults is required. Please register no later than Wednesday, May 11 by contacting Linda Goldbaum at [email protected]/or submitting your check for $25.

Torah and theTorah and theTorah and theTorah and the PleasurePleasurePleasurePleasure PrinciplePrinciplePrinciplePrinciple Dr. William Kolbrenner

Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 p.m.

Freud claimed that the pleasure principle was fundamental, but that the constraining nature of religion made the expression of such pleasures impossible. Looking at pleasure from various perspectives (including literary and psychological), this class will focus us on the topic of Judaism and pleasure. Does a Jew-ish point of view necessarily mean abandoning creativity and independence, and pleasure as well? Or, is there a possibility of integrating the pursuit of pleasure in the framework of a Jewish way of life? A famous psychologist enjoins, ‘follow your bliss’; as Jews can we heed this advice? Join us as we learn the answers to these questions with Dr. Kolbrenner.

This program is hosted and sponsored by

the family of Eric Parker.

A Taste of Me’ahA Taste of Me’ahA Taste of Me’ahA Taste of Me’ah

Wednesday, May 11, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Me’ah is an extraordinary experience for adult Jewish

learners. To find out more about this highly regarded educa-tional program, join us on May 11 for A Taste of Me’ah.

Me’ah is a two-year study program for adults who want to delve more deeply into Judaism. Me’ah brings alive this his-tory, personalities and values of Jewish people over thousands of years through intensive study and interaction with four leading Jewish scholars. In the first year you will cover Bible and Rabbinics; in year two you will cover medieval and mod-ern Jewish history. All instructors are specialists in their par-ticular topic.

To register for A Taste of Me’ah, contact Linda Goldbaum at 508-358-9992 or [email protected].



Shortcuts on the Shir Tikva Web Site…Shortcuts on the Shir Tikva Web Site…Shortcuts on the Shir Tikva Web Site…Shortcuts on the Shir Tikva Web Site…

To make commonly accessed pages on our website more easily accessible, we set up shortcuts that go directly to the desired pages.

Current short cuts include:

• www.shirtikva.org/events - current issue of Vats Nu • www.shirtikva.org/Hineni - current and past issues of Hineni on-line • www.shirtikva.org/calendar - current calendar page • www.shirtikva.org/donate - make an on-line donation • www.shirtikva.org/signup - signup and pay for events • www.shirtikva.org/video - info on Internet-based video of

services

The Transforming Fire: The Transforming Fire: The Transforming Fire: The Transforming Fire:

The Rise of the IsraelThe Rise of the IsraelThe Rise of the IsraelThe Rise of the Israel----Islamist ConflictIslamist ConflictIslamist ConflictIslamist Conflict Jonathan Spyer

Sunday, May 22, 9 a.m.

As Yossi Klein Halevi writes, “Jonathan Spyer, one of the smartest commentators on the Middle East, has written a bril-liant, heartbreaking account of life and death in contemporary Israel. A seamless weave of analysis and memoir, The Trans-

forming Fire, should be on the very short list of indispensable books about Israel and the Middle East conflict.”

Join us when Spyer provides a vivid account of what can now be called the Israel-Islamist conflict. Israel faces not one united Islamist movement, but an array of states and organi-zations that share a wish to destroy Jewish sovereignty. Spyer shares first-person accounts of key moments in the conflict to highlight the human impact of this battle of wills. Jonathan will offer a new understanding of a particular aspect of the larger conflict between radical Islam and the West, which may well become the key foreign policy challenge of the 21st century.

Jonathan Spyer is a senior research fellow at the Global Re-

search in International Affairs Center in Herzliya, Israel, and a

columnist at the Jerusalem Post newspaper. Spyer holds a PhD in

International Relations from the London School of Economics and a

Masters’ Degree in Middle East Politics from the School of Oriental

and African Studies in London. He served in a frontline unit of the

Israel Defense Forces in 1992-3,and fought in the war in Lebanon

in summer 2006. Between 1996 and 2000, Spyer was an employee of

the Israel Prime Minister’s Office. His articles have also appeared

in the Guardian, Haaretz, London Times, Washington Times, Toronto

Globe and Mail, the Australian, British Journal of Middle East

Studies, Israel Affairs and Middle East Review of International Af-

fairs.

jepig � Congregational Learning

In the Beginning: In the Beginning: In the Beginning: In the Beginning:

Nurturing Jewish Children... Nurturing Jewish Children... Nurturing Jewish Children... Nurturing Jewish Children...

Come and learn with other parents of young children (0 – 5) how to celebrate the everyday blessings and Awe-some

moments in family life. Create Jewish rituals for your home and nurture a Jewish identity in your children from an early age.

No cost but pre-registration is requested.

3 SUNDAY AFTERNOONS:

May 1, 15 & June 5, 1:30 – 3 p.m.

With Rabbi Sharon Clevenger

at The Rashi School, Dedham

To register, call Joyce Schwartz at 617-928-0012 or email [email protected]

Sponsored by the URJ-Reform Jewish Outreach Boston

Supported in part through the generosity of

Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Jesse Bogdan Jeremy Cohen Rachel Becker Sophie Facher-Yarin Noah Foster Lily Frank Samuel Goldberg Jason Goodman

Alanna Harrison Abigail Hirsch Jade Hollenberg Dana Kimmelstiel Daniel Nussbaum Debra Regensburger Samantha Zarkower

, וכשאני לעצמי. מי לי, אם אין אני לי, וא היה אומרהעשה , שמאי אומר: אימתי, ואם לא עכשיו. מה אני

והוי מקבל את כל , אמור מעט ועשה הרבה. תורתך קבע :ה+דם בסבר פנים יפות

Hillel says, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

But if I am only for myself, what am I?

If not now, when?" Shammai says, “Make Torah study

a habit, say little but do much and greet every person

with a cheerful face.”

Pirke Avot 1:14-15

Celebrate a year of learning and Torah Celebrate a year of learning and Torah Celebrate a year of learning and Torah Celebrate a year of learning and Torah

with the Confirmation class of 5771 with the Confirmation class of 5771 with the Confirmation class of 5771 with the Confirmation class of 5771

on Friday, June 3, 6:15 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 6:15 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 6:15 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 6:15 p.m.

Celebrate with the Celebrate with the Celebrate with the Celebrate with the

Confirmation Class of 5771Confirmation Class of 5771Confirmation Class of 5771Confirmation Class of 5771



jepig � Religious School May Religious School and Youth CommunityMay Religious School and Youth CommunityMay Religious School and Youth CommunityMay Religious School and Youth Community Grade 6 Tzedakah Project: Grade 6 Tzedakah Project: Grade 6 Tzedakah Project: Grade 6 Tzedakah Project:

Support Support Support Support Heading HomeHeading HomeHeading HomeHeading Home

(a subset of Grade 6 students are

working on this project)

We are working on a project to end home-lessness in our community by supporting Heading Home, an organization that provides homeless people with permanent housing and essential support services (job training, coun-seling, etc.) to get them on their feet and change their future. We are supporting their “Up and Out” program to help a formerly homeless family move into housing in May.

We are asking you to contribute to this important project by donating goods to help furnish the family’s new home.

Though we are young, we feel that it is our responsibility to help change the world, and we hope you feel the same way. From a Jewish and philanthropic perspective, we support Heading Home because it is an effective or-ganization that does more than its share of ending homelessness, one family at a time. From a religious standpoint, we believe it is each and every one of us that carries the re-sponsibility for repairing the world.

We need the following items to furnish the apartment for our family:

• Twin bed frame and mattress pad

• Twin bedding: sheet set/pillowcase, comforter, pillow (new)

• Children’s furnishings: nightstand, dresser, lamp, curtains/rods, and waste-basket.

• Queen bed frame and mattress pad

• Queen bedding: sheet set/pillow-case, comforter, pillow (new)

• Adult furnishings: nightstand and dresser.

• Kitchen: 16-piece dinnerware set, ser-vice for 4; glassware set, service for 4; 20-piece silverware set; full set of pots and pans; metal spatula; can opener; rubber spatula; wooden spoon; bottle opener; mixing bowl set; carving knives; pot holders; dish towels; paper towel holder; broom/dust pan; mop; toaster; microwave; iron and board.

• Living room: sofa, chair, coffee table, end table, and lamp

• Dining room: small dining room table, and dining chairs

(continued on page 13)

5/1 Religious School Yom HaShoah Grade 6 Walk For Hunger – meet at Riverside at 8:15 AM Synagogue-wide Yom Hashoah Program Rosh Hodesh Grade 6 at Mayyim Hayyim Rosh Hodesh/Grades 7-9 at TST Rosh Hodesh/Grade 11 location TBD

9:00 – 11 AM 10:30 – 11 AM 4 – 6 PM 4 – 6 PM 6 – 8 PM

5/4 Religious School & Youth Community 3:45 – 5:45 PM & 6 – 8

5/7 Shabbat Yeladim (Tots and Kindergarten)/Kindergarten Lead

9:30 AM

5/8 Religious School Yom HaZikaron

9 – 11 AM


5/15 Religious School Grade 6 Tzedakah Program/Field Day

9 – 11 AM 11 AM – 12:30 PM


5/20 Youth Community Graduation during Simchat Shabbat

6:15 PM

5/21 Family Shabbat Service/Grades 1 & 6 Lead 9 AM

5/22 Last Day of Religious School Lag B’Omer Tzedakah Mall

9 – 11 AM 10:15 – 11 AM

5/25 Youth Community End of Year Picnic – Grade 6 Students Invited!

5 – 8 PM

6/3 Confirmation during Simchat Shabbat 6:15 PM

6/5 Rosh Hodesh/Grades 6-9 at TST Rosh Hodesh/Grade 11 location TBD

4 – 6 PM 6 – 8 PM

Temple Shir Tikva Religious SchoolTemple Shir Tikva Religious SchoolTemple Shir Tikva Religious SchoolTemple Shir Tikva Religious School

Tzedakah MallTzedakah MallTzedakah MallTzedakah Mall

Sunday, May 22, 10:15 -11 a.m.

Bring your tzedakah dollars and buy tickets to allocate among the

different tzedakah booths staffed by students in Grades K-6.

Each grade has learned about and supported a different tzedakah organization throughout the year. The school is creating a “mall” so they can educate and adver-tise organizations they have supported and sell their missions to members of the Shir Tikva community. You will be able to buy tickets (50 cents) at the mall entrance, then walk the mall to learn about the good work our school is supporting. You will deposit your tickets in the Tzedakah drop box located at each booth.

Please come and “Shop ‘til it feels good!”



cenl sc � Page of Study

Andrew Freedman teaches: I understand this passage to be about uniqueness: Both the uniqueness of G-d, but also that of the Jewish people. And rather than feel self-conscious of that uniqueness, I believe we are meant to feel proud. In countless social situations some people seek to avoid being different. I consider myself a self-confident individual, and sometimes I have absolutely zero issues standing out from the group. However, even still there are times when I prefer to just blend in. I can look to this prayer to never mind standing out as a Jew in a larger non-Jewish world.

There is a bold procla-mation that there is “no other”, so clearly on one level this is an assertion of our monotheism. Today this is not so unique … nearly all my friends are monotheists … but in the day this was written this was an act of courage, and bold differentiation, and we should not forget that.

Not only are we meant to “know” this, but we are also meant to “feel” it. I found it interesting how the passage takes extra time to make this point: “You shall know, and take to heart.” In other words, it is inade-quate to intellectually appreciate G-d’s oneness, but we also need to have a more internal, personal reaction to this. My reaction was pride (I suppose as the opposite of shame?) In today’s PR parlance, when something is on the public record, you can either stand apart from the message (and hope it goes away) or stand with the message (and amplify it).

Interestingly the passage uses dualities to express this uniqueness. G-d laid the “foundations” yet also built in the “highest heavens.” You shall “know” and “take it to heart.” Adonai is the G-d in “heaven above” and on the “earth be-low.” This pattern conveys not only the totality of the mes-sage, but also a reassuring notion that G-d is everywhere. And assuming the underlying message is about “oneness”, using these rhetorical pairs is a thought provoking way to get this apparently simple message across.

Eric Falkof teaches: Who would think the words of the

Aleinu would be subversive? The prayer recounts Creation and affirms our faith in G-d. It says “There is no other… [and] Adonai is the G-d in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.” What could be so bad about that? Taken out of the context of a prayer of devotion, honor, and promise to endeavor to complete G-d’s work, the second para-graph neatly summarizes the Book of Genesis: G-d created the world and made a home for Himself in the heavens. Arguably,

one could say that all the work of creation was all human history and the home G-d made in the heavens, apart from the corporeal world, is Shab-bat. So, what could be sub-versive about this?

The second sentence of this two-sentence paragraph (as provided by our translators, historians, and cantors of yore) is a strong affirma-tion of the Jewish people:

•There is but one G-d who created all. This is a dis-tinctive statement from a time when many of the cultures among whom the Jews lived claimed there were multiple gods or gods other than Adonai. Of those

‘gods,’ many were idols. The Jews proclaimed that Adonai cre-ated the heavens and earth, and idolatry was false. Thus, they incurred the ire of their neighbors.

•There will come a time, the statement reads, when the Jewish G-d is the one and only G-d, and all people will recognize Him. This is saying the messiah is yet to come, and such a statement was contrary to the beliefs of certain non-Jewish majorities of the lands in which the Jews lived.

Finally, the G-d in heaven above and the earth below was a clear statement that the Jewish G-d was omnipresent, and thus the denial of all other gods. Adonai is the one and only, this paragraph says. Idolatry is false. Our lesson today is that although new idols of self-interest and personal advancement to the detriment of humanity may have replaced idols of stone and clay, following the ways Adonai prescribed will bring us closer to the day of a singular morality and ethic.

The Aleinu prayer is a supreme proclamation of the one-ness of Adonai and Jewish belief, but the prayer is steeped in history and controversy.

,ומושב יקרו בשמים ממעל, שהוא נוטה שמים ויסד +9רץאמת מלכנו , הוא אלכינו אין עוד,ושכינת עזו בגבהי מרומים

,וידעת היום והשבת אל לבבך : ככתוב בתורתו ,אפס זולתואין , ועל ה+9רץ מתחת ,הוא האלכים בשמים ממעל' כי ה .עוד

For G-d stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of

the earth, made the glorious dwelling place in the highest

heavens, and created a mighty presence in the loftiest heights.

There is no other; our Sovereign in truth. As it is written in the

Torah: “And you shall know this day, and take it to heart, that

Adonai is the G-d in heaven above and on the earth below;

there is no other.”

From the Aleinu prayer



My Israel Experience by Robyn Levy,

TST’s Study in Israel Scholar for 5771

“Three thousand years with no place to be,

and they want me to give up my milk and

honey. Don’t you see? It’s not about the land

or the sea, not the country but the dwelling of

his majesty.” ~Matisyahu

Shalom L’culam. Since I last wrote, I moved from the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv to the stillness of the desert. Arad, a small town located about 45 minutes outside a major city, Beer Sheba, consists of Israelis, Russians, Ethiopians, Haredim, soldiers, and Year Cours-ers. It is an extremely colorful city located in a very limited color scheme.

Every morning, I would walk into our frigid kitchen, look out the window and see an Aladdin-like mirage of desert for miles and miles. It was in-credible. Coming from the northeast, I was used to seeing luscious greenery everywhere, so seeing the tans and browns that the desert had to offer left me having to adjust - not to mention the several sand storms that we had to endure during our time there. I would call my parents and ask how they were doing and they would complain about another snowstorm. I would reply with, “Try having 4-5 inches of sand in your apartment.” It was quite an odd phenomenon.

My time in Arad was spent vol-unteering at a high school and also a nursery or, as the Israelis like to call it, a “Gan.” The high school is for kids who have been kicked out of their schools or are too troubled to go to a public school. They are very difficult to work with and require a lot of patience and courage.

The nursery also required a lot of patience and I had to keep a close watch on the babies. Working with newborns was an amazing learn-ing experience. My Hebrew improved tremen-dously because the women I worked with spoke very little English. I started to form relation-ships with the babies, but more importantly the workers.

I was volunteering to help the kids, but realized that these kids weren’t going to remem-ber me in a few years. The women I worked with truly benefited having the extra hand. I was extremely upset when my time in Arad ended, leaving these women who took me in and treated me like a worker.

Besides my volunteering, I spent a lot of

time in the desert reflecting about my past

few months and thinking about what the future would look like. What I learned about

the desert is “if you don’t embrace its’ vast emptiness, then you’ll lose yourself in the noth-ingness.” It was definitely a magical experience to live in the desert.

I left the desert, excited to be moving on to the more hectic world of Jerusalem. Mov-ing my life again, for the third time, was simple. Packing up took no time, and saying goodbye was just another part of my adventurous day. We headed back through the valleys of sand and gravel, and ended up, in what I could only imagine, a different country. But no, we had arrived in Jerusalem. My ears popped as we drove up and over the green, luscious Judean Hills.

I was so excited to be starting another chap-ter of my time here in Israel. Throughout this entire year, I’ve heard that Jerusalem was the

best and most active place we would be in. I couldn’t wait to get started volunteering, start taking ulpan (Hebrew) again, and live in a city with so much history and spiritual connectivity. Of course I understand what Jerusalem is, and how important it was to my ancestors and will be to my children, but I want to find that thing that really connects me to the heart of Israel.

I am lucky to come to Jerusalem during

the month of Adar, spending the late winter and spring here. Jerusalem is one of the most beautifully complicated and conflicting places I have ever seen. You can go up a hill, look out onto the old city and see churches, mosques, and synagogues, while also seeing computer stores, cafes and dance clubs. This city has em-braced the new, but also celebrates its history. Going up to Mount Scopus and having the Dome of the Rock catch my eye, with all the golden Jerusalem stone glistening in the sun is something no one can ever capture through a lens. Walking down through the Mount of Ol-ives, through years of stories, memories and tradition is not explainable through telephone or

skype. I am fortunate enough to experience this city for myself and explore her unique beauty.

Within these past few weeks in Jerusalem, I’ve learned that this city can only be discovered if you dig deep within its roots. Meeting up with members of our Temple, I got to travel through the Old City tunnels and step through history with congregation members, Rabbi Gold and Cantor Schachner. We got to see the streets of markets and the foundations of bridges that the Levi Priests used crossing into the Temple. Getting to share that experience with members of my synagogue is something that will stick with me forever.

I’m still getting to know this city every

day, trying to live just like every other Israeli

while maintaining my Jewish-American iden-tity. When my group heard about the bombing

at the Central bus station, it shocked and scared us all. Within minutes we were calling family and friends that live in the area and in the states. As Americans,

experiencing your first bombing is extremely petrifying. Two of my close friends were going to the suk to pick up some food for lunch and they took bus 74 towards the Central bus station. When we heard that it was bus 74 that was bombed, it was crucial for me to get in contact with them. The problem is, because so many people were trying to call each other to see if they were safe, the lines were busy. It took me 10 min-utes to get in contact with my two best friends that were just miles away. Thank G-d, everyone on my program was okay. Our prayers do go out to the 60-year-old woman who passed away

during the incident. It took a drastic event for me to realize that I was in a country that was at war. Until then, I had never felt unsafe, or sur-rounded by enemies. Since then, it has become

extremely apparent that this country is at

war, and I have to do everything I can to help educate others about the Palestinian/Israeli con-flict in order to bring more attention to the cause, and hopefully an end to this extremely confusing and never-ending war.

Just the other night, my roommates and I were sitting in our apartment eating dinner, planning to go see the “nightlife” of Jerusalem, when we heard a man on a loud speaker outside in his car. We are accustomed to hearing these messages about bringing down clothing or fur-niture that owners didn’t want, or political state-ments about the Knesset or even the Jewish people. This time, we heard nothing but “Bank Ha Poalim,” the bank right across the street from my apartment. My roommates and I didn’t think anything of it. We even mocked the man on the loudspeaker.

(continued on page 13)

Robyn Levy (far right) with Shir Tikva members in Israel during

the recent adult trip.



mler oewiz � Tikkun Olam

KESHER Provides KESHER Provides KESHER Provides KESHER Provides

Spiritual, Emotional Support Spiritual, Emotional Support Spiritual, Emotional Support Spiritual, Emotional Support

To CongregantsTo CongregantsTo CongregantsTo Congregants

Temple Shir Tikva Kesher Program’s mission is to provide both spiritual and emotional support, solace and hope to con-gregants and their families during times of illness, suffering, loss and grief and to rec-ognize celebrations of simchas. Each month, a volunteer coordinates community support services. The committee welcomes new members to support the greater Shir Tikva commu-nity. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Phyllis Kramer at kram-

[email protected] or 978-443-8712 or Jayne Lampert at [email protected] or 978-440-8361. The involvement might be deliv-ering a refuah bag, bereavement bag, or new baby bag. It could also be offering a ride to a congregant’s family or providing a meal. We are also looking for coordinators for each month’s activity. For May, the coordinator is Joyce

Gordon, who may be reached by email at

[email protected] or by phone at

508-358-7837 If you are aware of a congregant in need of Kesher services, contact the Temple of-fice, the Rabbis or Cantor, or the monthly coordinator.

Sisterhood Events...

Book/Brunch SundayBook/Brunch SundayBook/Brunch SundayBook/Brunch Sunday

Sunday, May 22, 11:15 a.m.

Please join us for a discussion of the book, The Glass

Room by Simon Mawer. The story takes place in Czechoslo-vakia and focuses on very modern, glass house that was built in the early 1930’s for Jewish newlyweds. As world events occur, the house passes out of the hands of this family and is a main character of the story. The Glass Room has won many awards including a New York Times Editor’s Choice award.

Before you start reading this book, check out this link: www.greatbuildings. com/buildings/Tugendhat_House. html. to see actual pictures of this house.

Sisterhood Spring DinnerSisterhood Spring DinnerSisterhood Spring DinnerSisterhood Spring Dinner

with guest speaker Laureen Rikleenwith guest speaker Laureen Rikleenwith guest speaker Laureen Rikleenwith guest speaker Laureen Rikleen Thursday, May 26, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

Welcome the spring with a Spring feast then after dinner we have the pleasure of hearing our own Lauren Rikleen speaking on women's issues including leader-ship, work, and family and putting that all together.

Lauren is the President of the Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership. She is also the Executive-in-Residence at Boston College Center for Work and Family and a member of the Board of Governors for the American Bar Association. She is the past Executive Director of the Bowditch Institute for Women's Success and a partner of Bowditch and Dewey. We are very excited that she will be with us this year!

RSVP at www.shirtikva.org/springdinner or at the Temple office. The cost is $36. If you have any questions or ideas, contact either Cathy Regensberger at [email protected] or Jill Abend at [email protected].

dlidw � Gathering

Celebrate our Celebrate our Celebrate our Celebrate our

Fain Award for TEKIAH Fain Award for TEKIAH Fain Award for TEKIAH Fain Award for TEKIAH

Friday, May 13 Friday, May 13 Friday, May 13 Friday, May 13

We will celebrate Tem-ple Shir Tikva receiving the Fain Award for our TEKIAH organizing work with the congrega-

tion during Shabbat Services on May 13. This award will be received by a congre-gational delegation who will be attending the Religious Action Center’s Consulta-

tion on Conscience held in Washington, D.C., May 1-3.

Two Brotherhood Game NightsTwo Brotherhood Game NightsTwo Brotherhood Game NightsTwo Brotherhood Game Nights

Remaining This Year Remaining This Year Remaining This Year Remaining This Year

Thursdays, May 12 & June 9, 7 p.m.

Please join us for a great opportunity to spend time with other men from the temple in a very relaxed atmosphere.

We will be playing an exciting and fun Texas Hold'em Poker tournament, al-though other game suggestions are welcome or just come to hang out. You will definitely have a good time and could even win Red Sox tickets or movie passes. All are welcome - novices and experts. Refreshments will be served.

The cost is $20 ($25 for non-members) to be all-in for the poker tournament to cover prizes and refreshments. If you are not playing poker then it is $5 ($10 for non members) to cover refreshments.



jepig � Youth Community By Samantha Nidenberg, Youth Educator

Our Jump-On-In event was a huge success, we had a great turnout. It was a night full of high flying adventure in a building full of trampolines cover-ing the floors and the walls. We had a roaring game of trampoline dodge ball and the teenagers slaughtered the chaperones. (photos right)

Our senior youth group had their first Interfaith Service

project with teens from the Islamic center across the street. We baked, cookies, banana bread, blueberry muffins, and made a delicious fruit salad for a family shelter located in Framingham. While our snacks were baking, we were able to enjoy each others company outside in the beautiful spring weather. (photos below)

Upcoming events:

Attention Seniors: We are very proud of our Graduating Students and we will celebrate them at Simchat Shabbat, May 20, 6:15 p.m.

Chip Clarke, Zoë Corner, Ari Goldberg, Alexander Kaye,

Leah Nussbaum, Abigail Titlebaum, Alexis Tonkel and Re-

becca Zarkower.

We honor these young men and women for their dedication to their studies, their music and the Youth Community’s Madrichim program. Following services, a dinner reception will be held at 7:30. Celebrate your Shir Tikva years with friends and family. A delicious kosher dinner will be served with tons of surprises, gifts, and memories.

End-of-Year Picnic, Wednesday, May 25, 5p.m.—8p.m. We will hold our END-OF-THE-YEAR PICNIC BBQ during Youth Community. Come hang out with your friends and celebrate at Temple Shir Tikva with good food, games, “moon bounce” and more.



Grade 6 Tzedakah Project: Heading HomeGrade 6 Tzedakah Project: Heading HomeGrade 6 Tzedakah Project: Heading HomeGrade 6 Tzedakah Project: Heading Home


• Bathroom: shower curtain, liner (new), hand towels, bath towels, bath rug, toilet brush (new) and wastebasket.

Please let our teacher Cheryl Weiner know if you can help. She can be reached at: cheryl_weiner @yahoo.com. Thank you for your sup-port.

Laura Kaye, Tommy Kaye, Jared Buchman, Larsen Henken,

Danny Hoenig, Jared Groff, Josh Kateman,

Zak Kaye, Ben Reichelt and Ellie Solomon

Another Way to Support Another Way to Support Another Way to Support Another Way to Support Heading HomeHeading HomeHeading HomeHeading Home

Members of the sixth grade class will host Yom Sport – a

Sports Day on Sunday, May 15, 11a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to raise money to support Heading Home, an organization that provides homeless people with permanent housing and essential support services.

People of all ages are encouraged to attend. There will be games, face painting, lunch (and dessert!) and a raffle too. Chil-dren 5-and-under are free.

Prices are as follows:

• $5 admission for games only

• $5 lunch only

• $8 lunch and games

• Raffle tickets $2 each

There will be a $20 cap per family.

Your support will help us buy greatly needed items for fami-lies who are moving into permanent housing for the first time.

We hope that you will join us for this terrific event. Registra-tion information will be distributed shortly. For more informa-tion about this event please contact Cheryl Weiner at cheryl_

weiner@yahoo. com.

Rashi School Curious Minds Program May 5, 1:30 - 3 p.m.

Join us at the Rashi School for our Curious Minds Pre-school Program. Children ages two to five and their parents/caregivers are invited to celebrate Israel’s birthday on Thurs-day, May 5 from 1:30-3 p.m.

There will be singing and dancing with Max Chaiken, Rashi’s song leader, a craft activity and a healthy snack. Cu-rious Minds programs are free, but preregistration is required.

Contact Anne Puchkoff at 617-969-4444 or email admis-sions @rashi.org. Rashi’s new campus is located at 8000 Great Meadow Road, Dedham, MA. (Please use 45 West Street for your GPS.)

Gr. 4 students participated in the “Cemeteries Are For the Living”

program through Jewish Cemeteries Assn of Mass. (JCAM)

My Israel ExperienceMy Israel ExperienceMy Israel ExperienceMy Israel Experience

by Robyn Levy


About five minutes later we heard a huge boom. We all just stared at each other. After a moment, we realized that we needed to see what was going on. One of us called our counselor while the others went next door to see if they had heard it as well. We went outside on our balcony and saw that the police had blocked off the street and held back traffic. We learned that the police were called because of a “suspicious object.” They came immediately and were going to blow it up on their own terms. That was what the an-nouncement was. Luckily everyone was safe, and in the end there wasn’t much to worry about. In about five minutes, the traffic pattern was back to normal, and I saw bus 74 zoom by packed with tons of people headed toward the Central bus station.

It’s incredible just how fast life can take you, and how adjusted these people are to war. I know that if a bomb was detonated across the street from TD Bank North in South Wayland, people would be talking about it for weeks but both the bus bombing and the bomb scare were old news in a matter of minutes. It still amazes me how strong this country has proven to be.

I am looking forward to every day here in Jerusalem. Whether it’s pushing my way through the shuk or learning children’s songs in Hebrew class while staring out the window at the old city’s walls, this city never seems to fail me. I am sad to say that my time here is coming to an end soon and I am trying to savor every mo-ment. I have been cooking new things every night, hanging out in different spots, searching for “Israeli” bars instead of American hangouts while learning as much as I can about Israel and its ac-complishments and problems. There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be right now, than in the chaos of this country. I can-not thank the synagogue enough for being supportive of me being here all year long.

For information about Temple Shir Tikva’s

Study in Israel Scholarship, please contact Rabbi Gold.



Temple Shir Tikva LibraryTemple Shir Tikva LibraryTemple Shir Tikva LibraryTemple Shir Tikva Library

National Jewish Book Award WinnersNational Jewish Book Award WinnersNational Jewish Book Award WinnersNational Jewish Book Award Winners

Given annually since 1948, the Jewish Book Awards recognize

outstanding books on Jewish topics each year in sixteen differ-

ent categories, including debut fiction, scholarship, biography

and Holocaust.

Below we list descriptions of award winners that are in

the Temple Shir Tikva Library.

Adult

Anthologies and Collections

Promised Lands : New Jewish American Fiction on Long-

ing and Belonging / Rubin, Derek (EDT)

This vibrant anthology showcases new,

unpublished short stories by a rapidly

growing crop of highly talented young

Jewish American fiction writers. Coher-

ing around the core Jewish theme of the

Promised Land, all the stories were writ-

ten especially for this volume. With the

kind of depth and imagination that only

fiction allows, they offer striking varia-

tions on the multivalent theme of the Promised

Land and how it continues to shape the collective

consciousness of contemporary American Jews.

Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice

Sacred Strategies : Transforming Synagogues from

Functional to Visionary / Aron, Isa; Cohen

Sacred Strategies is about eight syna-

gogues that reached out and helped peo-

ple connect to Jewish life in a new way--

congregations that had gone from com-

monplace to extraordinary. Over a pe-

riod of two years, researchers Aron,

Cohen, Hoffman, and Kelman inter-

viewed 175 synagogue leaders and a se-

lection of congregants (ranging from in-

tensely committed to largely inactive). They found

these congregations shared six traits: sacred pur-

pose, holistic ethos, participatory culture, mean-

ingful engagement, innovation disposition, and

reflective leadership and governance.

History

Early Modern Jewry : A New Cultural History /

Ruderman, David B.

Early Modern Jewry boldly offers

a new history of the early mod-

ern Jewish experience. From Kra-

kow and Venice to Amsterdam

and Smyrna, David Ruderman

examines the historical and cul-

tural factors unique to Jewish

communities throughout Europe,

and how these distinctions

played out amidst the rest of society. Looking at

how Jewish settlements in the early modern pe-

riod were linked to one another in fascinating

ways, he shows how Jews were communicating

with each other and were more aware of their

economic, social, and religious connections than

ever before.

Juvenile

Children’s and Young Adult Literature

The Orphan Rescue / Anne Dublin

Set during the spring of 1937 in

the small city of Sosnowiec, Po-

land, this is the story of twelve-

year-old Miriam and her

younger brother, David. They

live with their grandparents,

having lost their own parents to

illness and poverty. The family

does not have much – they live

together in one room behind the grandfather’s

shop and often there isn’t enough food for the

four of them – but they have each other. Miriam is

devastated when her grandparents tell her that

they can no longer survive as a family, and that

the only solution is for David to go to an orphan-

age. But Miriam is determined to rescue her

brother and bring him home.



Office HoursOffice HoursOffice HoursOffice Hours

School Office Temple Office

Monday…………………...9 a.m. - 5 p.m.…………….9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday…………………...9 a.m. - 5 p.m.…………….9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday………………..9 a.m. - 8 p.m.…………….9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday………………….9 a.m. - 5 p.m.…………….9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday……………………..9 a.m. - 2 p.m.…………….9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Office Closings:

Monday, May 31, Memorial Day

IN OUR CONGREGATIONIN OUR CONGREGATIONIN OUR CONGREGATIONIN OUR CONGREGATION ippd Temple Shir Tikva

508-358-9992 Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts

Upcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming EventsUpcoming Events

Thursday, May 12, 7 p.m. ………………………..Brotherhood Game Night

Sunday, May 15, 5 p.m…David Snyder Memorial Concert featuring Safam

Sunday, May 22, 9 a.m………………..Temple Gift Shop End-of-Year-Sale

Sunday, May 22, 10:15 a.m……………….Religious School Tzedakah Mall

Sunday, May 22, 11:15 a.m………………………..Sisterhood Book/Brunch

Thursday, May 26, 6:30 p.m…….…Sisterhood Dinner with Lauren Rikleen

ippd

June June June June Hineni Hineni Hineni Hineni DeadlineDeadlineDeadlineDeadline

Wednesday, May 5

Articles and photos may be sent by email to [email protected] or mailed to the Temple office. Please email or call Peggi Cohen, Hineni editor, at 508-358-6272 with questions or comments.

Phil Benjamin, President [email protected] 508-879-5064

Neal D. Gold, Rabbi [email protected]

Greg Litcofsky, Associate Rabbi [email protected]

Herman J. Blumberg, Rabbi Emeritus [email protected]

Hollis Schachner, Cantor [email protected]

David Passer, [email protected] ext. 214 Executive Director

Deena Bloomstone, [email protected] ext. 201 Director of Congregational Learning Rachel Kest, [email protected] ext. 203 Director of Elementary & Family Education Samantha Nidenberg [email protected] ext. 202

Youth Educator

Karen Edwards, [email protected] ext. 210 Assistant to the Rabbis and Cantor Linda Goldbaum, [email protected] ext. 211

Office Administrator Toni Spitzer [email protected] ext. 200

Office Administrator Lucy Dube, Bookkeeper [email protected] ext. 215

Peggi Cohen, Hineni Editor [email protected] 508-358-6272

JCC Early Learning Center of Wayland · Phone: 508-358-5331 Fax: 508-358-5332

NEW MEMBERSNEW MEMBERSNEW MEMBERSNEW MEMBERS

Donnie Askin & Connie Saienga

19 Charena Road Wayland, MA 01778 Noah, Ricki, Olivia

OUR CONDOLENCES...OUR CONDOLENCES...OUR CONDOLENCES...OUR CONDOLENCES...

Michael Gottlieb on the loss of his mother, Grace Gottlieb

Steven Hotchkiss on the loss of his grandmother, Grace Gottlieb

Elizabeth Gerson on the loss of her grandmother, Grace Gottlieb

Randy Gredinger on the loss of her father, Paul Kamen

Donate a Copy of Donate a Copy of Donate a Copy of Donate a Copy of

Etz Chaim Etz Chaim Etz Chaim Etz Chaim Torah Torah Torah Torah

The Ritual Committee reminds congregants that we are in need of additional copies of the Etz Chaim Torah used in our Sanctuary and for our weekly Torah study.

If you want to commemorate an event, or honor a family member or friend, please consider making a donation of $72 to Shir Tikva’s Ritual Fund for this purpose. Each donated Torah will have an appropriate bookplate on its inside cover . Contact Karen Edwards in the Temple office for more de-tails.

Documents

Temple ippd Nisan-Iyar 5771 - shirtikva.org · ippd Nisan-Iyar 5771 141 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA 01778 508-358-9992 Israel ReflectionsIsrael Reflections O ur