THE SHOFAR

Greetings to all from:

Ro Kerchner & Ed Altchek

Diane & Alan Apfelbaum

Bunny Benstock

Sherry & Manny Bloch

Carol & Bill Cohen

Miriam Fagan

Michelle & Yossi Fouks

Barbara & Harvey Hamerling

Lou Harmin

Leslie R. Leavitt

Sue & Lou Pellegrino

Lucille Poch

Irene & Harvey Roberts

Ilene & Ed Simnowitz

Marcie & Chuck Tuegel

Sherry Wilson

CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM APRIL 2020 ⚫ NISAN/IYAR 5780

Fellow Congregants,

Times are very bad. I miss seeing all of you at services each Friday and Saturday. My hope is all are doing well at home. There is a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Our collective desire is that my dear friends do not catch this virus.

We, of course, had to stop all services and face-to-face activities until we are told we can resume. That means no Community Seder, no Yom Hashoah event, no musical show, no NOTHING. You will still receive our weekly E-News to keep you in the loop with Congregation Beth Shalom.

I am here for you. If you need to speak to me about anything, I’m at home, as you are. I have plenty of time to talk.

Take care. Hope to see you soon.

Barbara Hamerling, President

Physically Apart

But

Together in Spirit

Candle Lighting Times

Shabbat Friday, Apr 3

Light Candles at 7:32 PM

Saturday, Apr 4

Shabbat Ends 8:26 PM

Passover Wed, Apr 8

Light Candles at 7:34 PM

Passover Thurs, Apr 9

Light Candles at 8:29 PM

Shabbat Friday, Apr 10

Light Candles at 7:35 PM

Saturday, Apr 11

Shabbat Ends 8:30 PM

Passover Tues, Apr 14

Light Candles at 7:38 PM

Passover Wed, Apr 15

Light candles at 8:33 PM

Thursday, Apr 16

Holiday Ends 8:33 PM

Shabbat Friday, Apr 17

Light Candles at 7:40 PM

Saturday, Apr 18

Shabbat Ends 8:34 PM

Shabbat Friday, Apr 24

Light Candles at 7:44 PM

Saturday, Apr 25

Shabbat Ends 8:39 PM

CANTOR ALISA FORMAN

Our New Normal

To Our CBS Family:

I'm writing to you from home, knowing that so many of us are all in the same boat to-gether, and none of us is a stranger to the "new normal." As we adapt to the challenges of living with a rapidly spreading pandemic, each of us doing our part to "flatten the curve" by minimizing the transmission of the novel virus, we also are discovering much about ourselves and our community. I hope that amid the many inconveniences, sacrific-es, and anxieties prompted by these unprecedented circumstances, you have also learned new rhythms and connected in new ways with the people and priorities in your life.

Across the country, we sympathize with those families whose weddings have been post-poned, whose B'nei Mitzvah have been disrupted, whose Simchas stand to be held ab-sent the loving embrace of a community, whose bereavements cannot be soothed by Shiva gatherings or even a simple hug.

We can be strengthened and healed by the words and deeds of compassion and caring that have echoed throughout communities throughout the country at this time. People have stepped up efforts to reach out to the members of their communities with caring phone calls, with letters and emails. We want to reach those members of our CBS com-munity most acutely affected: those who are infirm, under medical care, alone, isolated from family or caretakers, and in urgent need of support and companionship. If you would like to be part of a Caring Volunteer effort to write letters, make phone calls, and be of service to your fellow congregants, let us know by dropping an email to our Caring Committee Head, Michael Guilas at mg.ed.med@gmail.com or by text message on his cell phone at 352-445-5895.

Don’t forget the life-saving tzedakah that you can provide at this dire moment for vari-ous organizations can be given from home, and hopefully soon we want to share with you a number of opportunities to engage with CBS, even as our facility remains closed. I’m hoping we will continue to pray, sing, connect, and learn in safe ways at this time –hopefully online.

One synagogue that streams services is my sister’s synagogue in Scarsdale, NY --Westchester Reform Temple which streams Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat serves, via livestream at https://www.wrtemple.org/live-stream, at the regularly scheduled times for Friday worship (7:45 PM).

Hang in there, and I'd love to know where your discoveries lead you. Look on the next page for various Jewish websites to explore.

All of us at CBS pray that, by doing our part to slow the spread of this illness, we will, with God's help, contribute to life, healing, and shalom.

Bivracha - with blessing, especially now,

Cantor Alisa Forman

Community

The Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Jewishgulfcoast.org for pertinent Jewish news and local Jewish activities.

The Jewish Week. An independent community newspaper serving the Jewish community in the New York metro-politan area with the latest news, culture & opinion.

The Forward. Incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews. Reporting on politics, arts and culture.

Judaism and Jewish Life

My Jewish Learning. A trans-denominational website of information about Judaism.

Machon Hadar’s Online Learning. Learn about the particularism and universalism of Jewish thought and practice.

Covenant and Conversation by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks of Great Britain. You can listen to http://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-homepage

There's Tablet Magazine, a Jewish daily at https://www.tabletmag.com/

I was recently tipped off to edX, where top universities offer those who sign up (for free) the ability to stream a great number of fantastic courses. A number of these courses are in religion, including Judaism. https://www.edx.org/

Israel

Haaretz. Breaking Israeli and Middle East news, analysis & the latest reporting from the region.

The Jerusalem Post. The leading news source for English speaking Jewry since 1932.

The Israel Museum has created a virtual experience for many of its collections—a world-class treasure, and a wonderful resource to explore now. Visit https://www.imj.org.il/en.

Israel Daily Picture. Photographs and essays provide a window rarely opened by historians to view the life of Jews in the Holy Land 100 years ago.

Rethink Israel. Learn about Israel’s diversity, ingenuity and outreach.

Jewish National Fund. Planting a tree in Israel is the perfect way to show you care.

Online Resources For Further Study

When Last we Were Together: Purim S’udah

Costumes! Singing!

Food!

From Rabbi Paul Kipnes personal blog -- to read the original piece, visit paulkipnes.com.

Here we are bamidbar (back in the wilderness), reliving Numbers chapter 12, when Miriam becomes infected with a scaly, white, and highly conta-gious skin condition. Miriam the prophet – the soulful singer of new songs to God, whose wisdom discov-ers the wells of water in the wilder-ness – must cease her wonder-working to protect herself and her community. She quarantines herself outside the camp. What did the Israel-ite community, by then millions strong, do when a plague of unknown proportions entered their midst? They stopped traveling, hunkered down, and observed a period of quarantine.

Then what happened?

The Torah says little about what they did during that painful period, and we hear nothing about Miriam’s suffering, though we can imagine it was signifi-cant.

We don’t know how they passed the time, whether they interacted with others or stayed home in their tents. We know only that they made camp, stopped moving, and waited. We know, too, that Miriam’s brother Mo-ses, a leader of our people, cried out to the Healer of All with a prayer, brief but heartfelt and heart-wrenching:

El na r’fa na la. Please God please heal her (Numbers 12:13).

Asking for healing, Moses twice be-seeches the Holy One, doubling the word na (please) to emphasize the intensity of his desire. We imagine him falling to his knees, worried and fear-ful, bent low by the twin burdens of keeping his community safe and seek-ing healing for his beloved sister, his partner in leadership.

Like him, we pray now: El na r’fa na lanu. Please God please heal us. But our response shouldn’t end there.

From outside our usual communal camps, hidden in our homes, we imag-ine the actions of our ancestors: how they held strong and courageous amid unimaginable, listening to the voice of Miriam, from outside the camp, sing-ing loudly in the distance. Singing songs of hope and healing.

We imagine that the women, taking up their timbrels again, joined her in song, spreading out like a comforting chorus to create across the camp the world’s first livestreamed liturgy of love.

We imagine children tossing stones at targets drawn on the ground outside their tents, laughing and playing games together though separated by distance, finding companionship in the ancient virtual reality game they creat-ed together.

We imagine that there were latrines to be dug and food to be prepared (but in separate areas and always accom-panied by vigorous handwashing), and that the people arranged the sharing of resources and comforted the con-fused and the anxious.

Life went on, though separated by so-cial distancing – but better yet, life went on as they practiced physical dis-tancing but continued socially con-necting. And they told stories.

In heartwarming kodesh (holy) mo-ments, we might have glimpsed through the tent flaps to see parents and children, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, telling stories to one another and reading into the moment a reimagining of our ancient heroes. Stories about Noah and Naamah, whose strategic planning (building an ark, gathering the ani-

mals, collecting seeds for the future) saved the animals and themselves. They remind us that in working to-gether, in spite of the trauma to come, we can find a way forward and, hope-fully, through.

Stories about Isaac, the assaulted, who struggled to find meaning in a life torn apart by the painful experience he en-dured as a youth, yet who nonetheless opened his heart to the love of Rebek-ah and thus found a way forward. He reminds us that with love and partner-ship, we can overcome debilitating anxiety and fear.

And stories about Sarai, the soulful one, who dug deep amidst her despair to find strength to feed the stranger-wanderers and, learning that there would be hope for her future – a child to be born – she laughed. She reminds us that amidst great pain, we can still find great joy.

Let’s laugh, love, and support each other now.

We’ll never know what went on in the Israelite camp when a plague of un-known proportions threatened the very survival of the people.

But imagining, as we Jewish midrash-icists are wont to do, we can see it all clearly: People planned and played, shared and showered each other with love. They told stories and sang songs, creating social connection amidst the physical distance.

And healing came to Miriam, finally. Though we never learn whether oth-ers were infected or died of the dis-ease, sadly we imagine that too many did – and that when they did, the com-munity buried their dead with honor and love. Then, breathing an exhaust-ed sigh, they packed up and moved on. And eventually, we will, too.

From the Cantor: We’ve Been Here Before: Spiritual Wisdom for Enduring Coronavirus

Virtual Book Club: From Sand and Ash The next book club meeting will discuss From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon.

Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in

grave danger during World War II. As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were

raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the

two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his

deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.

Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with

nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a

convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the

Catholic Church. But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her

safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing

choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.

The meeting will be held online April 22 at 7 PM.

If you would like to attend, send an email to Sue Pellegrino at choppedherring@aol.com

Spiritual Well-Being in Times of Crisis Seven "postures for the spirit" to cultivate peace in difficult moments.

By Rabbi Zach Friedman from myjewishlearning.com (Submitted by Cantor Alisa Forman)

Human beings are fashioned with many profound capacities: for acts of profound love and service, the ability to heal and recover from terrible broken-ness, the imagination and intuition that can create a world of profound creativity and possibility. And yet, most often, we ignore our own gifts. We choose simple pleasures, food and money, over the hard work of meditation, self-sacrifice, and social repair.

The following seven states are postures for the spirit. Just as the body strikes a pose, the flow of blood modulates, the organs and muscles are transformed by the heart opener or the back bend, so too when the spirit takes a posture, various aspects of our being are exercised and rejuvenated. Reside in each posture for three minutes per day. Extend the duration of the posture as your skillset grows. One more thing, and it’s important. Every emotion and feel-ing, even the ones we deem uncomfortable, even painful — when we welcome them into our being, like messengers riding the wind, when we meet them with grace — every feeling can be a posture of prayer. When we shun and avoid and refuse prostration, the opportunity for prayer turns into suffering.

Anxiety We are beings composed of water. As the moon moves the tides, so too we are affected by forces outside ourselves. We are connected by a network of wireless wires and phones. In an instant, millions of us have seen the same image, heard the same story — how could we possibly be immune to the anxi-ety of our species shaking? When the anxiety comes to you, welcome it into your being with peace. If you flee from it, you will be chased. Feel it’s shak-ing quality, it’s fine disturbance of your halo. Now shake out your arms, and your legs and your toes, and roll your head around. Put the vibrations into song. Let the feeling which is causing your heart to tremble go out through your lips, your vocal chords. Shout if you need to.

Fear Fear is a posture of humility. You are a tiny nothing, and there is little you have control over. Give language to your fear. Share it with a friend. I’m afraid of getting sick. I’m afraid of my parents getting sick. I’m afraid of dying. I’m afraid of being in the hospital. I’m afraid of not receiving care. I’m afraid we’ll turn on each other. I’m afraid it will not end. When fear is welcomed, it is transmuted into awe. The God that creates all the beauties of the world is made whole by the aspect of God that is in death, disease, destruction, regeneration. Can we look upon the that power with the feeling of awe? Sickness and healing, death and life — we can’t praise only the good. To be whole is to face God with love (for the good) and awe (for the next to good).

Suffering & Compassion There is profound suffering in the world. We go about most days by forgetting the suffering of these distant and near others. But this weighs on our spirit, and contributes to our general anxiety and unhappiness. Feel into the suffering of those who your heart goes out to. Those who are sick, those with loved ones who are sick. Let your compassion extend to those you don’t know, those who are far from you. Let your compassion swell. A cave beside the ocean overflowing. As you breathe in, take their suffering into you. As you breathe out give them your light and love.

Joy Do what brings you joy. The work that takes your mind away from you: watercolors, violins, mobiles, pies, books. You’ll have some time to yourself. Strike up a new hobby. Spirit is not a casual or homogeneous substance. In some of the saddest moments, at a shiva after someone has died, joy and laughter can be the best medicine. Joy rises up out of rootedness and gratitude. Do things that root you, and shout your thank yous for the little pleasures that abound. Let joy surprise you. When she comes, run with her.

Trust/Faith Trust that we are in good hands. The world is composed in twos: light and dark, life and death, love and fear, sickness and healing — but the good out-weighs the next to good by just a little bit. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We evolve, we heal, we grow. These are signs of the inherent goodness of the world. Relinquish your sense of control, and allow yourself to reside in the heart of a divinity that is good, cares for you and loves you, blesses you in ways you can’t see or imagine. Stop holding it all together. You’re not the one holding it all together any way. Be in the bosom of the beloved. Rest there a while.

Impermanence

This too shall pass. Everything. Like a mandala made of painted sand, millions and millions of grains, wrecked by a child, blown by a breath. The first time Moses meets God at the burning bush he asks, what is your name? God answers, I will be what I will be. Ehyeh. The four letters of the name com-posed of an imbalanced jumble of was, is, will be. God is the all, nothing more or less, composed of all of us, within her, through her, our living and dy-ing, her life. Breathe in, breathe out. Let go of everything you know. None of it will remain for very long. This is not the mindset we inhabit most of our lives. But it’s a part of us, at our core. Stalks of grain blowing in the wind. The bed of reeds in still water.

Connection Though the spiritual figures and traditions harp on it all the time, there’s nothing like a crisis to teach you — we’re connected. What if we chose to live our lives, move through the world, make our decisions as if we were representatives, servants of something far larger than our individual bodies?

Feel how connected you are to all the people of the world, your friends, the people you don’t like, the plants and animals and stars and planets. You are God’s magic trick. A spark, a shard, a soul, something planted at the core of your being that connects you eternally to every living thing. Feel the beauty of that ineffable thing we are, that cannot help but invite love, and peace, and joy.

DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF HADASSAH!

Of all the things that can happen to this world, the last thing I thought would happen was

world-wide pandemic! I had the bad fortune in January to be struck with a cold that lasted

for two weeks, and as a good citizen I stayed home. As soon as I recovered from my cold, I

was reminded that I have a weak back, and the dreaded sciatica hit me. I couldn’t walk, sit

or lie down without feeling pain. I brought my walker from the garage, and for the last two

months, I depended on it to walk around the house. After seeing the orthopedic doctor who

gave me two choices, one to operate (“just a Band Aid sized surgery”) or to go to the pain

doctor. I chose the latter. The pain doctor gave me a shot in my spine that relieved some of

the pain. I will get a second shot in a couple of weeks. Now that I bored you with my ailments we will go back to Hadassah! I missed the

Hadassah Game and card party and heard the food was great and as usual Ellen Reuter, Carole Delizia, and the other members did a great

job.

I was able to come to the Purim meeting and Cantor Alisa Forman did a great job talking about Esther and Vashti in this Year of The Woman

when we celebrate 100 years since the women were first given the right to vote. Many of us forgot what a wonderful feminist the story of

Esther represents. Also the name Hadassah is close to our heart. We were forced to cancel our April meeting which was a women’s seder

and to miss the great job that Cantor Alisa Forman always does.

Unless the situation improves by May we will cancel the Hadassah end of the year luncheon. I hope by August we will get rid of the Covid-19

and we will be able to meet at my house for discussion of the 2020-2021 calendar. Please call me at 352-746-0005 you must leave a message

if you want an answer to your inquiry. Carole Delizia’s number is 352-436-4135. Carol has Tree certificates and Hadassah cards for all occa-

sions. Staying home is a good opportunity for spring cleaning! Happy and Healthy Passover to you and your family.

I pray we will go through this terrible period and be able to talk about it! Be healthy, be strong!

Miriam Fagan

PLEASE NOTE

All deceased whose names are

mounted on plaques on the

Memorial Boards in our

sanctuary will have the

memorial lights lit during the

Hebrew month of their yahrzeit

and on all holidays when

Yizkor is recited.

Please contact Les Leavitt

at 352-527-0698.

Yahrzeits

20 - Henry Helkin 20 - Esther Rushefsky 20 - Gordon Govatos 20 - Herbert Solkoff APRIL 17/18 23-29 Nisan 23 - Fanny Neff 24 - George Zimmerman 25 - George Taylor 26 - William Cubert 26 - Helen Gelsky 26 - Miriam Lamus Smooha 27 - Jean Morse 28 - May Fagan Miller 29 - Anna Passman 29 - Abraham Cohen

SUNSHINE & TRIBUTE CARDS

When you buy a birthday, anniversary or get well card you can also sup-

port our synagogue by purchasing a Tribute Card. Call Tribute Card Ma-

ven Les Leavitt (352-527-0698) or email lesleav864@gmail.com and he will

send your Tribute Card for just $5. Put “Tribute Card” in the subject line of

your email.

MARCH 27/28 2-8 Nisan 02 - Diane Silver 02 - Nathan Janoff 02 - Ann Polak 02 - Edward J. White 03 - Solomon Schlesinger 03 - Joseph Seewald 04 - Oscar Krebs 04 - Aaron Scher 04 - Eileen Unterman 05 - Marvin Weissman 06 - Isidore Madoff 07 - Harris Heim 07 - Hedwig Loeb Golden-berg 07 - Herman Passman 07 - Evelyn Ager 08 - Lester Rushefsky 08 - Clara Puzes APRIL 3/4 9-15 Nisan 09 - Leah Neilbloom 10 - David Schlesinger 10 - Hinda Schlesinger 11 - Ruth Brooks 13 - Max Friedman 13 - Danny Levine 14 - Harriet Sherman APRIL 10/11 16-22 Nisan 16 - Regina Gutterman 17 - Benjamin J. Gordon 20 - Herman Goldenberg

APRIL 24/25 30 Nisan, 1-6 Iyar 30 - Melvin Tobias 01 - Moses Miller 02 - Ann Saslow 05 - Alfred Morgenthau 06 - Fannie Golsdstein 06 - Anne Israel 06 - Morris Hartenstein 06 - Nathalie Kaufer MAY 1/2 7-13 Iyar 07 - Josef Ternbach 07 - Sara Abraham Papo 07 - Abraham Benzion Papo 07 - Sylvia Cohen 09 - Abraham Krim 09 - Fanny Altchek 10 - Dr. Joseph Pomerance 10 - Louis Greenstein 10 - Joseph Weissman 10 - Jack Habib 11 - Rachel Michaelis 11 - Corrine Frey 11 - Raymond Kurtz 12 - Lena Zimon 13 - Martin Schwartz 13 - Iris Antonoff

Beverly Hills Chapel (352) 746-4551

5955 N. Lecanto Highway (352) 746-4646

Beverly Hills, FL 34465 (352) 489-5363

www.FeroFuneralHome.com www.FeroMemorial.com

Thank You For Your Heartfelt Donations

In memory of Soloman Schlesinger

From Rachel Lamas

In memory of Jack Zaenchik

From Bunny Benstock

In memory of Miriam Lamus Smooha

From Rachel Lamas

In memory of Grace Dankner

From Erika Neimeth

In memory of Fleurette Leavitt

From Les Leavitt

In memory of Sonya Leavitt

From Les Leavitt

In memory of Gertrude Kurchack

From Rhoda & Alan Kwartner

In memory of our beloved

brother-in-law Joe Compofelice

From Bill & Carol Cohen

In memory of Dr. David Miller

From Andrea Snyder

In memory of Carol Zaglin

From David Zaglin

In memory of Morris Hartenstein

From Gil Hartenstein

In memory of Rona Lee Kohler

“Forever in my Heart”

From Jesse M. Kohler

In memory of Moses Miller

From Jon & Linda Tilton

In memory of Gloria Galehoff

From Leonard Galehoff

In memory of Jerry Sharkes

From Leonard Galehoff

In memory of Irving Topol

From Elyse & Murray Topol

In memory of Edith Chordock

From Barbara Jaffe

In memory of George Kaufer

From Audrey Guss

In memory of Nathalie Kaufer

From Audrey Guss

In memory of Eileen Unterman

From Lewis Unterman

Our deepest condolences on the

passing of long-time member

Joan Soskis Siegel. Contributions

to honor Joan’s memory may be

made to Congregation Beth

Sholom.

Birthdays

4/1 Dr. Leonard Calodney

4/7 Manny Bloch

4/9 Barbara Hamerling

4/9 Peter Williams

4/11 Stephen Weitz

4/24 David Kurtz

4/28 Gail Calodney

4/30 Elyse Topol

Honor birthdays and anniversaries

of friends and family with a small donation to

Congregation Beth Sholom. A gift of $18 (Chai — to life!) goes a long way!

Send your donation with a notation about your gift to:

Congregation Beth Sholom PO Box 640024

Beverly Hills Florida, 34464

Checks should be made payable to

Congregation Beth Sholom

Anniversaries

4/6 Michelle & Yosef Fouks

4/9 Barbara & Harvey Hamerling

4/30 Ellie & Lewis Unterman

Rescheduled

Saturday May 30th at 6 PM

Contact Us

Phone: 352-746-5303

Congregation Beth Sholom

102 Civic Circle

Cantor Alisa Forman, Spiritual Leader

Mailing Address

PO Box 640024 Beverly Hills, FL

34464-0024

www.bethsholomcitrus.org

Like us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/bethsholomcitrus/

Send comments and submissions for the

Shofar to Carol Cohen at clc5747@gmail.com

Board of Directors

President — Barbara Hamerling

Vice President — Sharon Weber

Treasurer — Rochelle Kerchner

Secretary — Harvey Hamerling

At-Large Board Members

Expires Feb 2022

Michael Guilas

Sherry Wilson

Marcie Tuegel

Expires Feb 2021

Ed Altchek

Sue Johnson

Les Leavitt

By creating a bequest for

Congregation Beth Sholom, you

can help make the difference to

ensure and shape the future

of Conservative Judaism in

Citrus County and Florida's

Nature Coast. Bequests are gifts

by Will from thoughtful people

who wish to help carry on the

good works and services of

Congregation Beth Sholom. You

may make a bequest using a

Will, Trust, Retirement Assets,

or Life Insurance.

REMEMBER

Patrons

Henrietta Feldberg

Peter Williams