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The Newsletter of
Congregation Beth Jacob
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!”
CONGREGATION BETH JACOB P.O. Box 3284
Plymouth, MA 02361 508-746-1575
www.cbjplymouth.org MAY/JUNE 2015
HOLIDAYS
5775
Holidays begin at sundown on the
evening before the dates listed.
May 7th Lag B’Omar
May 17th Yom Yerushalayim
May 24th Shavuot
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear CBJ Congregants,
As I write this we seem to have finally turned the corner into Spring weather…60 degrees feels amazing! I hope that everyone enjoyed a happy and peaceful Passover with friends, family and loved ones. I can’t believe another year has gone by so quickly and another Spring is upon us. With Spring comes the winding down of our Beit Sefer year, which will end with a Family Fun day on May 3rd. We are also plan-ning for our Annual Meeting, which this year will be held on June 14 at 10:00 a.m., so save the date and plan to attend.
At the Annual Meeting we will be presenting a slate of officers for the 2015 – 2017 term, so if anyone is interested in joining the board we do have openings for Vice Presidents (1st or 2nd) and Members-At-Large. We are also in need of a Membership Committee Chairperson, a PTO Chairperson, and a Beit Sefer teacher. And even if an “official” position doesn’t interest you, but you still want to get involved in your synagogue, Brotherhood and Sisterhood always welcome new members. So if you are sitting on the CBJ sidelines…step up and get into the game! We want you to get involved!
I hope to see everyone on June 14 at 10:00 a.m., and until then, enjoy the sun and the blooming flowers and have a wonderful Spring season!
Shalom,
Christine Burke, President CBJ
Presidents Message 1
Rabbi’s Message 2
Beit Sefer News 3
Beit Sefer Registrration
for Fall 2015 4
Sisterhood News 5
Brotherhood News 6
Onegs 7
Donations
Yahrzeits
8
9
Calendar 10
Ad Page 11
Inside this issue:
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 2
FROM RABBI SILVERMAN
The Days Between
The days between the beginning of Passover and the Festival of Shavu'ot (celebrating the gift of the Torah to us at Mount Sinai) -- these seven weeks of days are a kind of extended holiday in their own right. Called "S'feerah," meaning "counting," these days of Counting the Omer, as it is called, link the Festival of our Freedom to our original festival for celebrating the Torah. It's as if to say: Freedom is wonderful, but freedom by itself can run wild. So, our freedom is intimately connected to Torah-Teaching-Law and our sense of what is morally right. In this way, when Torah binds our freedom, the two together really liberate us to be and do the best we can be and the best we can do.
Come and mark our days between Passover and Shavu'ot with us at the Synagogue. We count the days of the Omer every Friday night. When we do, we want to do more than merely recite a number. We rather would strive to make all of our days truly count!
Rabbi Lawrence
LIMUD TORAH / TORAH STUDY GROUP
We usually meet on Monday mornings at the Synagogue from 8:30 to 10:00. Regular meetings resume on Monday, April 27 and continue on May 4, 11, and 18 and June 1, 8, and 15.
HEBREW SCHOOL
As of April 27, Monday Students are in Bar and Bat Mitzvah lessons
Tuesday, May 26 -- Last regular session for Tuesday students
Thursday, May 28 -- Last session for First Year students
CONFIRMATION CLASS GRADUATION
Please mark your calendars!
The last regular meeting of the Confirmation Class will be on Sunday, May 3, beginning at 10:00 a. m. Confirmation Class graduation will take place at our service for Shavu'ot, Saturday evening, May 23, beginning at 7:30 p. m.
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 3
CONGREGATION BETH JACOB EXECUTIVE BOARD
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Brian Duckman
Arnold Gladstein
Larry Winokur
Christine Burke – President
Open – Vice President
Paula Keller – Recording Secretary
Sheila Finer – Corresponding Secretary
Brian Duckman – Treasurer
Alan Koplan – Assistant Treasurer
Carl Finer - Member-at-Large
Len Freed - Member-at-Large
Melissa Goldbach - Member-at-Large
Jeremy Kusmin - Member-at-Large
Ronnie Hirschhorn - Member-at-Large
BEIT SEFER NEWS
.Beit Sefer Units - Purim kicked off a few months of celebration at Beit Sefer. Following an exciting and fun-filled Purim Carnival, the chil-
dren learned about the spring holiday of Lag B'Omer and the way it is celebrated in Israel. Unfortunately, our New England weather prevent-
ed us from having a picnic, bonfire, or other outdoor games. So, we settled for a special board game day, which appeared to be a big hit.
Leading up to the wonderfully delicious chocolate Seder, the children learned about the significance of the Passover holiday, including the story of Exodus and our holiday traditions. Children completed projects including making Seder plates and Matzah trays. Of course this unit, and our school year, culminated with everyone's favorite CBJ tradition -- the Chocolate Seder! YUM!
Join the Beit Sefer Team! - Please be aware that there are openings for one or two teachers, as well as a principal, for next year. After 3 years of being the Beit Sefer principal, and with Hannah moving on to Confirmation Class and Bat Mitzvah preparation, I will be stepping down from my position. Please consider helping to educate our children. Lesson plans and materials are prepared for you, so it's really very easy. No specific background is required. If you have any questions or are interested in these positions, contact Christine Burke or myself. I sincerely hope you'll consider getting involved!
Many Thanks! - I want to take the opportunity to thank many people. First, great thanks to the individuals your children interact with each week - our teachers Emily Burke, Sheila Finer, Elissa Davis, and Ann Maddeford. Thank you to Rabbi Lawrence for his guidance, expertise, and participation. I'm grateful that he was always ready to answer questions from children and adults without warning. Our children are so lucky to be working with such caring educators. Thank you to our Curriculum Committee - Christine Burke, Paula Keller, and Cindy & Seth Teles for creating the lessons and activities for each of our units.
While we didn't have an "official" PTO this year, we did have a group of very dedicated parents who planned wonderful events throughout the year including the Hanukkah party, Purim Carnival, and our upcoming Family Fun Day. Thank you for all your creativity and hard work. You made the children's celebrations so much fun! Again, I quote one of our younger students who said, "Our parents do all the work, so we get to have all the fun!"
Beit Sefer Parents - I know how difficult it is to get up on Sunday mornings to wake your children and get them to Sunday School. Your ef-forts do not go unnoticed. While I suspect your children may not be grateful right now, I hope that when they are older, they'll appreciate your dedication to their religious education and the foundation that CBJ is providing.
It has been a pleasure being the principal of Beit Sefer for the past three years. I've enjoyed working with your children and watching them grow. It's also given me the opportunity to get to know so many of you. Thank you for your ongoing support and for sharing your children each week. Fondly, Laura Finkel
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 4
Congregation Beth Jacob Registration Form
2015-2016 Education Programs
Please list all students who will be participating in any of our education programs including Beit Sefer, Con-firmation Class, and B'Nai Mitzvah preparation.
Fees:
Beit Sefer Pre-kindergarten: no charge
Beit Sefer K-6 (includes Hebrew School for grades 3-6): $330
Confirmation Class: $110 B’Nai Mitzvah (includes Confirmation Class and setup/cleanup for Kiddush afterwards): $275 Beit Sefer students: _______ X $330 = $___________ Confirmation students: _______ X $110 = $___________ B'Nai Mitzvah students: _______ X $275 = $___________ TOTAL $___________
There is a family maximum of $700. Do not send in payment at this time. Fees will be added to your July 1st bill.
Check below if you are interested in one of the following positions. A membership stipend is given for each of these positions. ____ Beit Sefer Teacher ____ Beit Sefer Principal
Return form to Laura Finkel at 42 Grabau Drive, Plymouth, MA 02360.
Student Name (first and last)
Phone # Date of Birth Grade (in Sept.)
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 5
Sisterhood News!
Hi Everyone! Can it really be Springtime? I’m looking out my window today; the sun is shining and I can actually see my driveway and lawn. They’re like old friends that I haven’t seen for a long time!!! Hope this weather holds and soon we will be in shorts and t-shirts! As you know, Sisterhood has been busy during the winter, despite the weather, and we plan to continue all that into Spring and Summer. We had a wonderful Sisterhood-led service and Oneg on March 20th. Many thanks to all who participated, especially Cindy Teles, Paula Kel-ler and Linda Myer for putting together a great program, and Suzanne Goldberg, Margery Kanter, Ronnie Hirschhorn and Cindy Teles for tasty contributions to the Oneg. We also hosted a successful Antique Roadshow on March 22nd, with several people receiving professional appraisals from Josh Rioux of J. James Auctioneers and Appraisers. We would definitely like to do this one again in the future! By the time you read this, we will probably be done, or almost done with Passover, during which Sisterhood will be hosting an Oneg on Friday, April 10th. Coming up on April 13th and April 27th are two Torah Study Groups with Rabbi Silverman, both at 11:00 AM at CBJ. One of our biggest and best events, the Sisterhood Donor Lunch-eon, is coming up on Sunday, May 17th at 12:00 noon at Carmela’s Restaurant in Kingston. This is always a favorite, not just because of the good food and the great Silent Auction prizes, but because it gives all of us a chance to see each other, catch up and welcome members who have been away for awhile! More information will be coming to you and I hope that you will plan to join us! Finally, Shabbat on the Beach is starting this year on June 26th! I can’t wait to breathe the sea air. Some folks have expressed the inter-est and willingness to help out with Onegs, either at the beach or at CBJ during the summer. Suzanne Goldberg will be contacting people - if you know you’d like to do one of these, please let her know! They are fun, relaxed and easy! That’s it for now! Thanks as always to everyone for your support of Sisterhood and me!!! Marjorie
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 6
BROTHERHOOD NEWS!
Greetings and salutations to one and all,
We have a "bunch of stuff" coming up in the next few months. There's the usual bowling on the first and third Tues-days of the month for the select unusual few who don't mind being humbled from time to time. There's a Brotherhood Meeting happening on the 14th of this month where we will discuss a plethora (love that word) of items.....all within an hour's time. That's so we don't put too much pressure on addled, aging minds. We have a "sumptuous" Brotherhood Breakfast scheduled for Sunday, April 26th. The featured speaker will be Deputy Sheriff, Liisa Budge Johnson, with a brand new audio visual program on her beloved Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. We have a new, recognized Recy-cling partner. This is helping us with a new fundraising RECYCLING EVENT, scheduled for May 9th at the Stop & Shop parking lot. On June 13th we will have a reprise to our successful Bingo/Pot Luck Dinner. Last, but certainly, not least, I'm including a reprint of a solicitation that was made a couple of weeks ago. We are once again asking for your support in providing a permanent memorial for the late Karin Goldstein. In life, she highlighted the importance of the Jewish community in the development of Plymouth. It is only right that our congregation re-member her contribution in death. A Stone for Karin: Karin Goldstein was an educator, a historian and a valued member of our Jewish community. She wrote of, and high-lighted the importance of Jewish life in the development of Plymouth. In doing so, she promoted the significance of Congregation Beth Jacob as part of the very fiber of early Plymouth. With her passing at the tender age of 49, we have lost a treasured voice from our congregation, and educator from our community. The Plymouth Antiquarian Society has been creating a path of granite blocks in the garden of Hedge House. With your help, one of these blocks will be set aside as a fitting memorial for Karin from this congregation that was so much a part of her life. These stones are usually valued at over $2,000. However, in recognition of Karin’s considerable work on behalf of the archeology and history of this town, we are being charged only $800 for this memorial to Karin. So, we’re asking that you donate whatever you feel you can to help with this well deserved and meaningful tribute from Congregation Beth Jacob. Please send all donations to Rabbi Silverman made out to "CBJ-Rabbi's Mitzvah Fund", and indicate on your donation that it is to be used to purchase a memorial “Stone for Karin.”
Be well and a Good Pasach to all! Dan Hirschhorn, CBJ Brotherhood
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 7
Dates for hosting Onegs for Shabbat are open right now for 2015. Hope you will all choose at least one special date and treat us to your own version of a Shabbat celebration! Temporarily please contact Suzanne Goldberg at [email protected] reserve yours! May 1 Duckman Family
Simchat Shabbat
May 8. Eli Zelman
May 15 Sue Moore and Roy Zahreciyan
May 22 Suzanne Goldberg & Marjorie Nydell
May 29 Linda Myer
June 5 Lisa & Andy Forman
June 12 Lisa & Justin Feingold
June 19 Brotherhood
June 26 TBA the Beach
Deadline for the July/August TENT is June 9th!
Articles and news may be submitted to Robin Kirby at [email protected] and are accepted earlier than the dead-
line. Please note that the deadline is just that - a deadline.
Thank you in advance for your understanding,
Robin Kirby, Editor
BEIT SEFER CLOSING CEROMONIES ARE SUNDAY, MAY 3RD!
CONFIRMATION GRADUATION WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 23RD AT 7:30 PM MAZEL TOV TO: Ashley Burke and Melissa Kirby who will both be Confirmed
MAZEL TOV TO:
Rachel Forman who will become a Bat Mitzvah on June 6th
Joshua Feingold who will become a Bar Mitzvah on June 13th
Shabbat on the beach dates:
June 26th
July 10th
July 24th Blessing of the Animals
August 7th
August 21st
ANNUAL MEETING
SUNDAY, JUNE 14TH AT 10:00 A.M.
ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 8
LIMUD TORAH/TORAH STUDY GROUP Our study of the weekly Torah portion continues, midrash and commentaries included. Our texts are in English translation.
We meet most Mondays, from 8:30 to 10:00 am. Please watch the Weekly Update for May/June dates.
HINENI The Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Jacob are continuing (Hineni) to provide one-time or short-term ser-
vices to congregants. To this end, a number of congregants have volunteered to provide rides, meals, and other similar as-
sistance as needed and requested.
For examples, rides to Temple for services, programs, and meetings as well as to appointments can be arranged. Meals will
also be provided on a limited basis.
All congregant requests will be maintained in the strictest of confidentiality. Any requests for assistance should be directed
to the program coordinator, Suzanne Goldberg @ 508-833-8896, or Rabbi Silverman @ 508-746-1575. Volunteers are al-
ways welcomed and needed.
YAHRZEIT FUND DARA & SCOTT CAMPANELLA IN MEMORY OF DR. HARRY KELLER PAULA & JOE KELLER IN MEMORY OF DR. HARRY KELLER
SHERMAN FUND
Anne Geller—Lawrence D. Gellar & Family in Celebration of the birth of Gabriel Lawrence Muller newborn son of Alexandra
Geller and Bill Muller
**Reminder** In order for your donation to be listed correctly above, when sending in your donation please print clearly the appropriate fund your gift should be directed to as well as exactly how you wish the dedication to be listed in the newsletter. If this is not legible, the Treasurer does his best at reading what you intended and then passes it along to the Editor of the newsletter for posting. Please indicate to which fund you are donating on both your check and on the envelope.
Contributions are welcome in any amount. Please direct your gift, together with dedication instructions, to the appropriate fund. All gifts will be acknowledged by personal letter to the honoree or to the family of the person in whose memory a gift is made: Mail to:
Congregation Beth Jacob P.O. Box 3284 Plymouth, MA 02361
DONATIONS
PLEASE NOTE:
Contributions to the Rabbi's Mitzvah Fund are always
welcome and, during the winter months, are especially
needed. Checks should be made payable to "CBJ-Rabbi's
Mitzvah Fund" and sent to the Rabbi's attention at P.O.
Box 3284, Plymouth, MA 02361. Please include your
dedication instructions. A note will be sent to the person
(s) honored by your gift or to the family of someone in
whose memory a contribution is made.
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 9
Members, Guests and Friends of CBJ:
I am happy to remind you of a program that we offer at
Congregation Beth Jacob to inform fellow Jews: both
members and their families and friends of CBJ, of the
annual yahrzeit dates of their loved ones. Once you have
supplied the names and dates (either Hebrew or English)
of those whom you wish to remember, you will receive
notification approximately three weeks in advance of
the yahrzeit date. There is no charge for this service. We
feel that it’s important to supply this service to all inter-
ested Jews.
I realize that our members have furnished this infor-
mation when they joined CBJ. We ask those of you who
have not done so to supply this information again so we
can be sure our records are up-to-date and accurate. This
program is separate from your listings in our annual
Yizkor Book of Remembrance.
Please send this information to:
Congregation Beth Jacob
Attn: Arnold Gladstein
P O Box 3284
Plymouth, MA 02361
YAHRZEITS DURING MAY/JUNE
Please note: Yahrzeit observance begins the evening preceding the date shown.
26 Belle Myer
27 Solomon Bromberg
28 Faye Rothstein
28 Marc Lipetz
30 Walter Wise
JUNE
1 Walter Kilimnik
2 Herman Michaels
4 Theodore Strauss
5 Joseph W. Swartz
5 Lloyd Anderson
6 Alfred Bryan
8 Dora G. Bell
8 Faye Rothstein
8 Ruth Cohen
9 Vera Marcus
9 Hattie Resnick Waterman
10 Jack Gurwitch
12 Leon Bromberg
13 Myer "Mike" Starr
14 Ruth Putnam Sherman
14 William Melville
YAHRZEITS FOR MAY/JUNE (Observance begins the preceding evening) MAY
2 Arthur Jacobs
3 William Lippman
6 Arnold Shelly
7 Stella S. Bromberg
9 Harvey F. Cohen
9 Arnold Brodie
12 Miriam Polak Lelyveld
13 Kalman Aharoni
14 Joseph Epstein
14 Edward Greenberg
15 Ida Portnoy
17 Marion Melville
17 Marc Lipetz
18 Jacob Erie
18 Lucille Arons
21 Lawrence Geller
21 Ada Greenberg
22 Rae Baron
24 Minnie E. Kaplan
26 Walter Wise
"May the Memory of each
one abide as a Blessing"
Notes on Yahrzeit observance:
Some customs associated with Yahr-
zeit observance are: lighting a memo-
rial candle at home in the evening at
the beginning of the Yahrzeit period;
saying Kaddish during a Shabbat
service close to the Yahrzeit; donat-
ing to a charity or one of CBJ's spe-
cial funds in memory of the one
whose Yahrzeit is being observed.
***HOW TO REACH US AT CBJ***
508-746-1575
(Messages can be left here)
Rabbi Silverman can be reached at 508-746-0010
during Calling Hours and in Case of Emergency
(Confidential messages can be left at this number).
Exception: When one knows that Rabbi Silverman is at
the Synagogue, for example, for Hebrew School or Bar/
Bat Mitzvah lessons, then it makes sense to try the Syn-
agogue number first.
RABBI SILVERMAN'S CALLING HOURS:
Rabbi Silverman observes Calling Hours on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am - noon. In
case of emergency, messages may always be left at 508-
746-0010.
15 Frances Taub
16 Louis Koplan
17 Zelda Silverman
20 Cecile Greenberg
20 Mary Minsky
20 Milton Moore
21 David Starr
21 Frances Strauch
23 Herbert Silverman
24 Jack Greenberg
24 Alice Harris
24 Jack C. Swartz
25 Jack Weiss
29 Kurt Weishaupt
31 Edward R. Bloom
JULY
2 Esther Aranowitz
2 John Martini
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 10
Holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the dates listed.
MAY 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 7:30 Simchat Services Oneg: Duckman Family
2
3 9:45 Beit Sefer Closing Ceremonies 9:45 Confirmation
4 5 7:00 Sisterhood Meet-ing
Brotherhood Bowling
6 7 8 7:30 Services Oneg: Eli Zelman
9 Brotherhood Recy-cling—Stop & Shop
parking lot
10 11 12 13 14 15 7:30 Services Oneg: Sue Moore & Ray Zahreciyan
16
17 12:00 Sisterhood Donor Luncheon at Carmelas
18 19 Brotherhood Bowling 20 21 22 7:30 Services Oneg: Suzanne Goldgerg & Marjorie Nydell
23 7:30 Confirmation Graduation—Ashley
Burke/Melissa Kirby
24 25 7:00 CBJ Board Meeting
26 27 28 29 7:30 Services Oneg: Linda Myer
30
JUNE 2015
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 31 1 2 7:00 Sisterhood Meet-
ing Brotherhood Bowling
3 4 5 7:30 Services Oneg: Lisa & Andy Forman
6 10:00 Rachel Forman Bat Mitzvah
7 8 9 TENT DEADLINE JULY/AUGUST ISSUE - Articles due to Robin Kirby
10 11 12 7:30 Services Oneg: Lisa & Justin Feingold
13 10:00 Joshua Feingold Bar Mitzvah Brotherhood Bingo & Pot Luck Dinner
14 10:00 CBJ Annual Meeting
15 16 Brotherhood Bowling 17 18 19 7:30 Services Oneg: Brotherhood
20
21 22 7:00 CBJ Board Meeting
23 24 25 26 Shabbat on the Beach Nelson Park
27
28 29 30
MAY/JUNE 2015 PAGE 11
