“wine tasting and wisdom” - amazon s3...332 west alejo road, palm springs, ca 92262...

332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 ● www.templeisaiahps.com ● 760-325-2281

MARCH 2016 ● ADAR I / ADAR II 5776 RABBI DAVID LAZAR

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 6:30 PM ● Reading of the Megillah

followed by an evening of

“Wine Tasting and Wisdom”with Rabbi Lazar

Just how drunk do the Rabbisthink you should get?

RSVP 760-325-2281

❖ From Our President’s Desk Gary Miller

Dear Congregants, At the close of February we havemuch to be happy about. It has been avery successful month for TempleIsaiah. Our staff and the Rabbi workedvery diligently to make sure that theTaubman concert was a success. I’msure all who attended thoroughlyenjoyed the evening, which exuded agreat sense of community. We are grateful to CraigTaubman for giving Temple Isaiah such a wonderful gift. At the concert we displayed three pieces of art by Agamthat were donated to Temple Isaiah by Craig’s sister,Caren Glasser, who was our Cantor for the High Holidays.This is an unexpected donation, and we are truly gratefulfor such a generous contribution to the art collection ofTemple Isaiah. Looking forward to March, the third annual TempleIsaiah Jewish Film Festival will be held from March 20 toMarch 23, (the 20th at the Temple and 22nd and 23rd at theCamelot Theatres). The festival was conceived by EileenStern, and she continues, with her committee, to grow thisexciting cultural event for our community. This year Eileenand her committee have added an opening night event onSunday, March 20. The movie “Partner with the Enemy” willbe shown, followed by a discussion led by Neil Friedman ofMenemsha Films, cocktails and chance to mingle. Therewill be six excellent movies to see on March 22 and March23. As we have seen in the past, this is a very popular,enjoyable and informative program for the PalmSprings/Desert community and, in particular, for TempleIsaiah. I want to thank Eileen and her committee for all theirhard work in making this such a special and excitingprogram. This year our Community Seder will be held on thesecond night of Pesach, April 23rd. This is a change from

previous years, and in making this changewe know there will be some congregantswho will not have a first night Seder toattend. I’m asking our community toconsider hosting congregants who will nothave an opportunity to participate in a

first night Seder. As part of the Seder, werecite the words “All who are hungry, let them

enter and eat.” Consistent with this tradition. I am askingthose congregants who will be having a first night Seder toconsider opening not only their door but their heart tocongregants who would not otherwise have an opportunityto participate in a first night Seder. If you are so inclined,please call the office and we will work with you to find thosewho would be grateful for such an opportunity.

Shalom,

TIWA MEMBERS HOST A HIGH TEA FEBRUARY 25

TIWA Members: (l→r) Ruth Lustman, Brenda Tabak, Roni Spetalnick, President Shoshana Barer, Melanie Garver, ShirleyWaterman, Rita Thom, Janis Fulford, Kerry Turner, Susan Speiser & Michelle Mueller.

Photos from the lovely High Tea will appear in the April issue of Chai Lights. If you took pictures and are willing to share them,please email your BEST photos to Miriam Bent at [email protected] by March 15th. If you have any questions, give her

Have you ever wanted to lead a Seder at home butwas afraid to do so? Are you unsure about howmany cups of wine or how much matzah to put onthe table?

Have you wondered whatvegetarians and vegans put onthe plate instead of a bone?

Or maybe you just want to have adeeper and more meaningfulPesach?

Join Rabbi Lazar at a Pre-PesachWorkshop on Wednesday, April6th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Nofee. Just bring a Haggadah ifyou have one.

Call the office to RSVP:760-325-2281.

Book of Esther in Hebrew and German, Vienna, 1862, Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv

Elijah’s Cup, Moscow,1837, Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv

❖From the Rabbi’s StudyRabbi David Lazar

Wine plays a significant part in theJewish tradition, and as with almostevery topic, we find multiple viewsexpressed in our literary heritage.Already close to the beginning of theTorah, we read of Noah, having justsurvived a disaster of global proportions,planting a vineyard and getting drunk andmaking a fool of himself. The storyseems to suggest that from the very startthis beverage meant trouble. And indeed, passages like

“Ah, the proud crowns of thedrunkards of Ephraim ... on the headsof men bloated with rich food who areovercome by wine!” (Isaiah 28:1) and“Wake up you drunkards and weep,wail all you swillers of wine!” (Joel 1:5)reflect this view. Yet, on the otherhand, we find in the book of Psalms(104:15) “Wine gladdens the humanheart” and that Abraham waswelcomed by Melchitzedek, king of

Salem, with wine and bread (Gen. 14:18) and that it was used in the Temple worship. This ambiguous attitude toward the fruit of the vinecontinues in Talmudic literature as well. On the one handwe are told that if “one avoids wine, one avoids sin”(Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 29a) yet on the other, “thereis no joy without wine” (Pessahim 109a). As you know, wine plays an crucial role in so much ofJewish ritual - The kiddush, sanctification of time, onShabbat and Holidays, is done with a cup of wine. It is alsocentral to both wedding and birth ceremonies. Yet at thesame time, getting drunk has never been seen as apositive thing in Jewish culture ... except when it comes toPurim. Of all theJewish holidays,perhaps it isPurim that ismost associatedwith wine anddrinking. TheScroll of Esther,which is read atthis time, beginswith a drunkenfeast and the partaking of wine continues as a theme throughout the book. The Talmudactually encourages getting drunk on this day, andalthough later authorities tried to limit and temper this view,it still remains the practice in many Jewish communities. At Temple Isaiah, we are well aware that, for some,wine is an ongoing challenge to their health and well-being.But we also know that for others it plays an importantculinary role. The balance between enjoyment and abuse,

joy and destructive behavior, is not an easy one. As usual,when it comes to complex issues that we’d like to view ina Jewish context, I’d like to encourage our discussion ofthis with the help of Torah study. And so, for this year, afterwe read the story of Esther, we will continue the celebrationby combining wine tasting - including the non-alcoholic type- and the reading of ancient and contemporary textsrelating to this topic. Please join us Wednesday evening,March 23, 6:30 for the Purim Megilah Reading followed byour very special celebration! May this be a time of joy for each of us in our own way!

Rabbi’s insightful, lively class on the weekly torah portionis held on Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:15 pm inthe Temple library on the lower level.

❖From the Executive Director

Doug Morton I hope by the time you read this

you’ve already got your reservation in

for the Shabbat dinner following the

Shabbat Service with Ami Yares on

March 4th. It is so exciting to have Ami

with us again. For those of you who

weren’t here this past July when Ami

played guitar backup for Rabbi’s

Shabbat service and then sang a

couple of his compositions, it was an

exciting, “rocking” service. Ami and Rabbi have been

friends since Ami accompanied Rabbi at his services

when Rabbi had a congregation in Tel Aviv.

With the service being the first Shabbat on March, it

will be a 6:30 pm service ... and we are going to combine

it with a Shabbat Dinner, catered by Sherman’s Deli. If

enough of you RSVP and attend, we will plan more in the

future. The price is only $20 per person, and offers all of

you a complete Shabbat evening experience with your

Temple family. Please, I welcome your feedback

afterwards. Remember, the first Friday service is at 6:30

pm. instead of 7:30 pm. Services are open to all, but

reservations are essential for the dinner.

The third annual Jewish Film Festival is later this

month, and brief details on all the movies is included in

these Chai Lights, but I urge you to go to our website

www.templeisaiahps.com to see trailers on all the films.

You can also order your tickets online. I’m sure you’ve

noticed that we’ve added an opening night film and

reception that will be held at the Temple on Sunday,

March 20th, and we’re excited to bring in the head of

Menemsha Films, Neil Friedman, to

speak about Israeli films, plus an

opportunity to have a drink and

schmooze! I know you’ll agree that our

Jewish Film Festival, headed by Eileen

Stern and her committee, is getting

better each year. So many people from

all over the valley come, I hope that you’ll

be one of those.

You can make your reservations for our Community

Seder by calling the Temple (760-325-2281) or going

online. I’m pleased that we need to

charge only $5 more than last year’s

prices ($70 members; $85 non-

members). The major difference this

year is that we will be doing the

second night - Saturday, April 23rd -

instead of the first seder. Mark your

calendars. This year is especially exciting as it is our first

seder with our new Rabbi, David Lazar.

Last Thursday our Temple Isaiah

Women’s Auxiliary, chaired by

Shoshana Barer, threw a tea ... and

what a fun event it was! Delicious food

prepared by the TIWA members, a

great fashion show from The

Wardrobe, with our ladies as the

models, the inimitable Denny

Seidenfeld as MC, who entertained with

terrific songs and escorted all the models down the

runway, a great band ... and even a performance by our

own Rabbi who sang “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler

on the Roof. It was a great afternoon! By the way, have

you noticed the progress we are making in the lobby to

build a proper gift shop, that will be run by our TIWA?

These are exciting times.

The week before the TIWA Tea was the Craig

Taubman Concert ... and what a night it was. Thank you

to Alberto Tapia for taking pictures that evening,

augmenting Miriam Bent’s photos, which you can see in

this issue of the Chai Lights. Actually, Alberto also took

some wonderful pictures at the TIWA Tea. There is one

photo of the TIWA Committee in this issue of the Chai

Lights, and many more next month.

In the July and September Chai Lights we featured

the 15 families who joined the Temple since Rabbi Lazar

began. We need to get the photos of our 33 newest

members who joined since the High Holidays, but we

were overdue to at least list them all for you, so you will

find the list in this Chai Lights, and I trust you will be as

excited as I am to have them as part of Temple Isaiah. I

have had a chance to spend some time with each of

them and they are wonderful additions to our

congregation. I hope that you will also make it a point to

welcome them and perhaps get to know them. And,

looking forward, if you have a friend or neighbor who

might be interested in joining, and you would like a little

help convincing them to become a member of our

Temple community, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I’d

love to talk to them!

Shalom,

Doug Morton

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

JOIN US FOR TEMPLE ISAIAH’S 56th ANNUAL

COMMUNITY SEDERSECOND NIGHT OF PESACH,

conducted by Rabbi David Lazar

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016 • 6 PM Members Non-members

Adults $70 $85Children 3-13 $36 $45

DEADLINE IS TUESDAY, APRIL18th

Complete & mail in the order form below, order online at

www.templeisaiahps.com or call the office with your credit card number, 760-325-2281.

Complete and mail to Temple Isaiah, 332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Name(s)________________________________________________________________________________

Address________________________________________________________________________________

Phone________________________________ Email_____________________________________________

# Adult members @ $70 _____ # Children / members @ $36 _____

# Adult non-members @ $85 _____ # Children non-members @ $45 _____

□ Enclosed is my/our check, payable to “Temple Isaiah” for $___________

□ Please charge $________ to my credit card. Name on card_________________________________

Credit card #_________________________________________exp._______ Security code________

Very special thanks to Alberto Tapia for the wonderful pictures he took. along with Miriam Bent, to record this special evening.Alberto’s photographs comprise 17 of the pictures in this composite.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPONSORS FOR THE CRAIG TAUBMAN CONCERT

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

March 2016

1

23-4:15 pmExploraTorah

3 6:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”Intro toJudaism class

4 6:30 pmShabbat Serviceswith Ami Yares.Followed byBuffet Dinner

5 10 amShabbat service

5 pm Havdallah,Coffee & Music

@ Ernest Coffee

6Temple office closed

7Temple officeclosed

8



117:30 pmShabbat services

1210 amShabbatservice



15


176:30-8:30 pm“On One Foot”Intro toJudaism class



20

4:00 pmJEWISH FILMFESTIVALOpening film atTemple Isaiah


2210 am → 9 pmJEWISH FILMFESTIVAL atthe CamelotTheatres

23 10 am→5 pmJEWISH FILMFESTIVAL at theCamelot Theatres ••••••••••••••••••••••6:30 Reading ofthe Megillah +‘Wine & Wisdom”

24

PURIM257:30 pmShabbat services




29 303-4:15 pmExploraTorah


Candle Lighting Times

Friday, March 4 Shabbat Vayakhel 5:03 pmFriday, March 11 Shabbat Pekudei 5:08 pmFriday, March 18 Shabbat Vayikra 6:14 pm *Friday, March 25 Shabbat Tzav 6:19 pm

* Daylight Savings Time begins March 13

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

April 2016

1 6:30 pmShabbat services




5 6 3-4:15 pmExploraTorah

6:30 pmPre-PesachWorkshop










17 Temple office closed




22 No Shabbat Service tonight.

EREV PESACH.FIRST SEDER

23 10 amShabbat/holidayservice

6 PMCommunitySeder

24


26 27No class today 28 No class today 29 10 am 7th dayPesach service


30 10 am Shabbat/holiday service

YIZKOR

CANDLELIGHTING TIMES

Friday, April 1 Shabbat Parah 6:24 pmFriday, April 8 Shabbat Hachodesh 6:30 pmFriday, April 15 Shabbat Metzora 6:35 pmFriday, April 22 Shabbat Pesach 6:40 pmSaturday, Apr.23 2nd Night Pesach After 8:06 pmFriday, April 29 Shabbat Pesach 6:46 pm

IN MEMORY OF: YAHRZEIT FUND

Harriet Sloan in loving memory ofher father, Joseph Greenfeld

Helene Holland in loving memoryof her brother, Leonard Jewett

Pearl White in loving memory ofher husband, David White

Helene Holland in loving memoryof her father-in-law, EmanuelHolland

Pearl Cappe in memory of ArleneBarnett

Lottie Kaplan in memory of ArleneBarnett

Sandie Ovesen in memory ofFrank Cahn

Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg inloving memory of Evie Edidin

Frank Mott in loving memory of hismother, Pauline Mott

Lila Blane in loving memory of herhusband, Harold Kaplan

Don Hein in loving memory of hisuncle, Don D’Acosta

David Lyons in loving memory ofhis brother, Joel Lyons

Ken and Marilyn Glassman inloving memory of Marilyn’s father,Michael Wolfson

Tina B. Wein in loving memory ofher husband, Ron Wein

Charle Taylor and Miri Schriber inloving memory of Miri’s mother,Henya Malkah Schriber

Maurice and Terry Raynor in lovingmemory of Terry’s father, CharlesNathan

Tina B. Wein in loving memory ofher father-in-law, Murray Wein

Beatrice Julien in loving memory ofher husband, Nathan Julien

Helene Holland in memory of AnYoung Kim

Leo and Cyma Cohen in lovingmemory of Cyma’s mother, MildredBrooks

Marvin and Rosalyn Friedman inloving memory of Rosalyn’s father,Harry Shimberg

GENERAL CONTRIBUTION

Dr. Basil Bernstein

Nina Rone in honor of Ira Helf andJohn Knoebel

Pearl White in honor of CraigTaubman & Band

CONTRIBUTION TO RABBI’SDISCRETIONARY FUND

Nina Rone

Alan Douglas

Welcome to our newest advertiser,John Lowey of Edward Jones

March 2016 Yahrzeits * Names Inscribed on Memorial Board

Shabbat Services: Friday nights at 6:30 pm the first Shabbat of the month and 7:30 pmthereafter, and Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. We will attempt to provide a morningminyan for a yahrzeit if given several days notice.

March 1-5 Listed inannouncements onMarch 4 & 5

*Arthur L. Ashley*Arthur Barrington*Paul Berman*Lena BronsteinMenaach EliasharJames Fulford*Samuel HaydenSimone Holland*Rose KalfussAhron Kaplan*Albert PolanLeila P. RadwineMilton SacksEdward Safire*Nachman SchwartzMorgan VaronMarjorie WassermanHelena Weingarden

March 6-12 Listed inannouncements March 11 & 12Abner Angel

*Irene AvidonSylvia BornsCissie CheifetzJacob Choldin*Morton R. CohenLee E. Douglas*William Duschinsky*Dr. Samuel Eder*Sadie EhrenzweigMuriel Elzufon*Estelle Emanuel*Louis Feldman*Shirley L. Gaynor*Jeanette Gillman*Samuel GoldsteinJudith GreenbergerEthel Grinker*Morton Harper*Ruth S. Harper*Lillian HessMarilyn Holland*Richard KatzJenny LandauShirley LewFlorence LopatinHelen LymanBurnett Molin*James MortonRose RibackFreda SegalRose Seifert*Ted ShawAugusta StahlVicki R. SuchinSamuel TellerRose WeinribJeffrey Weisberg*George Wolf

March 13-19 Listed inannouncements March 18 & 19

*Shirley Becker*Ann L. Blum*Dovid Bresler*Frank Breyer*Rose Cohen*Dr. Harold Greenbaum*Myron M. Grossman*Abraham Jaloff*Benjamin N. Kane

Lillian LapidusIrving LefkowitzHarry LenesAnn Levander*Lewis B. LevinIrving LichtZane Mann*Sol MarantzHenry L. MolinRuth Molin*Jay D. NidetzLouis Richter*Joseph RudolphHerman SchonBessie SchwartzSusan Sheaffer*Harry Spiritis*Rebecca SternbergRoz Witas

March 20-26 Listed inannouncements March 25 & 26

*Morris V. AvidonN. Roy Beller*Gerald Bolotin*Samuel H. BrezinSallee Davis-Kanter*Samuel Fey*Sally GillmanCynthia Goodman*Lonny Haber*Charles Harris*Gerald HermanMiriam HermanSamuel Kroll*Fanny KatzBessie LevinSaul Pearce*Betty PearceAnn ProstCharles Sachs*Dora Schiller*Samuel SchillerLeonard Schwartz*Rose Shapiro*Nathan J. Sogolow*Cyli Teitelbaum*Samuel VenerBetty Volk

March 27-31 Listed inannouncements April 1 & 2

Michael D. Bailie*Louise Bernstein*Riva P. Cantor*Roslyn Dembo*Frieda Freeman*Mollie GoldsteinStanley GoodmanMolly Grinstein*Harold Holland*Natalie MillerRose MortonRobert PerlmanMarilyn C. Posner*Bertha Rubin*Saul RuskinSharon SilvergladeBetty StrikerElizabeth TaylorSeymour WolfeFrieda WolowitzJed Zidell

May their memories endurefor a blessing.

“wine tasting and wisdom” - amazon s3...332 west alejo road, palm springs, ca 92262...

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