the voice of suburban jewish community center- bnai …ajw/jewish/december05shma.pdf · the voice...

Beyt Tefillah 4-7

Beyt Midrash 8-9

Religious School 8

Beyt K’nesset 10-14

Men’s Club 10

Sisterhood 11

Youth Groups 10

Donations 12-13

Adult Education 9

Our Rabbi’s Voice —

S i s t e r h o o d “ T h e N i g h t b e f o r e C h a n u k a h ” & B i n g o e v e n t s

M e n ’ s C l u b A r t R e a u c t i o n & B r u n c h e v e n t s

I s r a e l T r i p L e a g r a m s

C a r l e b a c h d i n n e r r e s e r v a t i o n W o r l d Z i o n i s t O r g a n i z a t i o n

A n d m u c h m u c h m o r e

In the Inserts

קול הרב

Myth: The battle of Chanukah was between the Jews and the Greeks. Fact: After the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire was divided among his two generals, Ptolemy and Seleucid. Ptolemy’s Empire was centered in Egypt; the Seleucid Empire was centered in Syria. Antiochus IV, also known as Antiochus Epiphanes, was a Seleucid king. Perhaps even more significant than the external battle between the Syrian Greeks and the Jews was the internal civil war between different factions of Jews, the Hellenizers who wanted to assimilate into Greek

society vs. the pietists who wanted to maintain Jewish traditions. Myth: Chanukah is discussed at length in many sections of the Bible and Talmud. Fact: Chanukah is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible at all. There are two Greek books, Maccabees 1 and 2, that are not included in the canon of the Tanach. The laws and customs of Chanukah are not discussed at all in the Mishnah. Chanukah is treated in a very off-hand manner in the Gemara. In a discussion of the kinds of candles that may be used for Shabbat (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 21b), one rabbi asks, rather casually,

(Continued on page 6)

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Shabbat Service Schedule � Shabbat Toldot Friday, December 2

6:00 pm— Traditional Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv Saturday, December 3

9:30 am— Morning Services Bat Mitzvah—Rachel Fishman 10:30 am— Jr. Congregation 11:15 am— M&M’s pre-K service 4:20 pm— Mincha & text study 5:20 pm— Maariv & Havdalah

� Shabbat Vayetze Friday, December 9

6:00 pm— Traditional Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv

Saturday, December 109:30 am — Morning Services

Bar Mitzvah— Ben Mansky 10:30 am — Jr. Cong. & Mechina 4:21 pm — Mincha & text study 5:21 pm— Maariv & Havdalah

� Shabbat Vayishlach Friday, December 16

6:00 pm—Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv Saturday, December 17

9:30 am— Morning Services Bar Mitzvah — Eli Feigenbaum 10:30 am— Jr. Congregation 11:15 am— M&M’s pre-K service Bar Mitzvah — David Yael 4:23 pm— Mincha 5:23 pm— Maariv & Havdalah

� Shabbat Vayeshev Friday, December 238:00 pm—Traditional Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv Saturday, December 249:30 am—Morning Services Shabbat M’varchim ~12:00 pm—Mincha 7:30 pm — Maariv & Havdalah At the “Night before Chanukah” � Shabbat Miketz Friday, December 304:15 pm—Light Chanaukah candles 4:27 pm— Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat & Maariv & dinner Saturday, December 31

9:30 am— Morning Services 4:31 pm—Mincha

5:31 pm—Maariv & Havdalah

T H E V O I C E O F S U B U R B A N J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R - B N A I A A R O N December 2005/Cheshvan~Kislev 5766

Although Chanukah is probably the most widely known of the Jewish holidays among non-Jews as well as Jews, it is probably the most misunderstood holiday on the Jewish calendar. I hope that this article helps to dispel some myths about the Festival of Lights, as well as give you some insights into the many layers of meaning embedded in this holiday.

Emergency Information

If you have an emergency and need to speak with Rabbi Malik or Cantor Friedrich, they can be contacted through the office via phone, 610-446-1967, during regular hours. On Shabbat and Yom Tov, you can leave a message, but the answering machine will not be reviewed until the next business day. In a more immediate emergency on Shabbat or Yom Tov, come by services, or send a friend to get in touch with the rabbi or cantor.

December 2005/Cheshvan~Kislev 5766

Suburban Jewish Community Center -

Bnai Aaron 560 Mill Road

Havertown, PA 19083 610-446-1967 www.sjccba.org

Rabbi

Lisa S. Malik, Ph.D.

Cantor Steven Friedrich

Principal Bernice Shore

President Donald Miller

1st VP Karen Berkowitz

2nd VP Gary Bernett

3rd VP Stephen Asbel

Treasurer Vance DiCristo

Recording Sec’y Jeffrey Hill

Corresponding Sec’y Joseph Pless

Financial Sec’y Sharon Benveneste

Shema Editor Julia Raizen

Photography Adlai Joseph Joel Perlish

Deadline for submissions for

January Shema: December 15, 2005

Please send submissions to

[email protected] Photos and hard copy can be dropped off at the shul office.

Proud member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Mid-Atlantic Region

Adult Ed Course: Halacha in the Conservative Movement

Between Shabbat Mincha and Maariv services, while we partake of “Beer and Shmear” (a.k.a. Shalosh Seudot), we will read and discuss excerpts of A Guide to Jewish Religious Practicesby Rabbi Isaac Klein. These readings will teach us halacha l’maaseh, practical Jewish law, within the Conservative movement. We will study laws and customs about daily religious practices, as well as holiday and Shabbat observances.

Led by Rabbi Malik or by Adi Wyner, this discussion occurs every Shabbat afternoon. Time will vary with the onset of Mincha.

As most of us know, when Hebrew is transliterated to English there can be great variability in what letters are chosen. Chanukah is no exception, and is probably offers more variability than your average word. The more “common” spellings seen on the internet are: Channuka, Channukah, Chanuka, Chanukah, Chanuko, Hannuka, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanukah, Hanukkah, Kanukkah, Khannuka, Khannukah, Khanuka, Khanukah, Khanukkah, and Xanuka. The internet being what it is offers us some exceptionally unusual spellings including: Hanuuka, Chanuqa, and Hanukkkkkka, Good thing in Hebrew it is always spelled the same.

Chanuka Trivia

חנכה


SJCC-Bnai Aaron Statement of Purpose SJCC-Bnai Aaron is a traditional, egalitarian synagogue where people of all Conservative Jewish backgrounds can come to be energized and engaged- socially, spiritually, and intellectually.

Like all synagogues, Suburban Jewish Community Center-Bnai Aaron is a Beyt K’nesset (House of Gathering), a Beyt T’fillah (House of Prayer), and a Beyt Midrash (House of Study) all rolled into one. Our synagogue offers multiple entry points for our members. While some will be more inclined to come to shul for social reasons, others might be more inclined to participate in our religious and educational activities.

SJCC-Bnai Aaron is a Conservative synagogue where people are welcomed & encouraged to grow at every stage of their religious journey- a synagogue that maintains the halachic and educational standards of the Conservative movement without sacrificing its core values of lay leadership participation and down-to-earth warmth and haimishe-ness. Our rabbi encourages us to approach the mitzvot the way we would approach a ladder- climbing up one rung at a time. As Conservative Jews, we may not all be on the same rung of the ladder as the next person; each of us will climb the ladder of mitzvot at a different pace, “willing, learning and striving” to be somewhere on that ladder. By observing mitzvot such as studying and praying together, we have the opportunity to maintain and strengthen our Jewish identities, to develop a closer relationship with God, and to connect to the Jewish community around the world and throughout Jewish history. Not only do we have the potential for spiritual and intellectual growth as individuals, but we also have a tremendous potential for growth as a community. By being traditional within the context of the Conservative Movement’s understanding of halacha and by being innovative in all other respects, this shul strives to become a cutting-edge education-centered spiritual community that is known for its energizing and engaging ruach-filled atmosphere.

December Events in Our Synagogue & in Our Community

Sundays 10:00 am Mishnah Yomit with Michael Shore

Mondays 7:30 pm Adult Ed: Cantor’s class, “Melodies & More”

Sunday, 12/4 10:00 am Sisterhood Fashion Show

Sunday, 12/4 5:00 pm Man of the Year dinner at Har Zion

Monday, 12/5 7:30 pm Men’s Club Monday Night Football

Sunday, 12/11 10:00 am Founder’s Day At Har Zion

Sunday, 12/18 10:30 am Annual Men’s Club Chanukah Breakfast at religious school

Saturday, 12/24 7:30 pm Sisterhood, “Night before Chanukah” family fun event

Friday, 12/30 4:15 pm Carlebach Kabbalat Shabbat with dinner

Rachel Fishman, December 3, Toldot Rachel is in seventh grade at Media-Providence Friends School in Media. Rachel is on the school soccer team as well as a Haverford Soccer Club team with her ol’ friends from Lynnewood Elementary School. Out of school her passions include Ballet, Tap and Jazz dance as well as playing the piano. Rachels’s love of reading inspired her Tikun Olam project. She has been collecting new and gently used children’s books for distribution at a shelter in the Philadelphia area

and Jewish Family Services in Ardmore and reading to kindergarten children at her school.

Ben Mansky, December 10, Vayetze Ben Mansky is a 7th-grade honor student at Paxon Hollow Middle School where he is a member of the band, chorus, math club and speech club. Ben enjoys reading, drawing, playing video games, spending time with his brothers and playing with his cat, Kupo. Ben has an avid interest in ancient civilizations and hopes to become an archeologist. David Yael, December 17, Vayishlach, My name is David Yael and I am a student at Haverford Middle School. My favorite subject in school would have to be MATH. I am a very athletic kid that likes to ride bikes around the neighborhood with friends. I play basketball for Havertown Hoops, and have a great time meeting new people to play with. I have been learning to play the piano with my grandfather as a teacher for 3 years. I have two pets, both cats who like to play around the house.

Eli Feigenbaum, December 17, Vayishlach Eli is a 7th grader at Radnor Middle School. Eli is a curious, well-traveled young man, who recently visited Holland and Germany. Beforehand, while juggling school work, athletics and Bar Mitzvah practice, he read ‘The Diary of Anne Frank” in anticipation of visiting her house in Amsterdam. He toured concentration camp remnants in Bergen Belsen and Sauchsenhausen. Schoolwork is very important to

Eli, and his grades reflect a strong desire to succeed. He also strives to do his best in sports, including his favorite pastime, skiing.


December 3 Toldot

Torah: Marty Brenner Rachel Fishman Haftarah: Rachel Fishman

December 10 Vayetzei

Torah: Ben Mansky Haftarah: Ben Mansky

December 17 Vayishlach

Torah: Eli Feigenbaum Haftarah: Eli Feigenbaum

December 24 Vayeshev

Torah: TBD Haftarah: Howard Fatell

December 31 Miketz

Torah: David Schutzman Haftarah: David Schutzman

December Chanters

Beyt T’Fillah —our house of prayer

December’s B’nai Mitzvot

Sunday morning 9:00 am Monday—Friday mornings 7:00 am M—F mornings on National Holidays 9:00 am Sunday—Thursday Evenings 7:30 pm Friday Night times vary * Shabbat Morning & Holidays 9:30 am Shabbat Afternoon & Evening times vary * * times for the beginning and end of Shabbat vary

with sunset throughout the year. See front cover for schedule of services. See back cover for candle lighting times.

S C H E D U L E O F DA I LY S E R V I C E S

Shabbat is always sweeter with m&m’s

M&M’s: MUNCHKINS &

MISHPACHA

For Families with Babies, Toddlers, & Pre-Schoolers: Birth-Age 5 Each month, twice per month

11:15 AM-12 PM in the Winig School Building

Babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers remember to bring your parents to M&Ms this month on

December 3rd & December 17th

December 2005/Cheshvan~Kislev 5766 Beyt T’Fillah —our house of prayer

Shabbat Morning Babysitting Babysitting will be available on Shabbat morning from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Winig School Building. This service is offered each week to parents of children from 1 to 4 years old. No Charge.

Thank goodness for Cheshvan! Stephen Asbel sent me a Cheshvan song (I will not share it here – contact Stephen if you want a copy), celebrating the fact that there are no holidays in this Hebrew month. While the holidays were wonderful, it’s nice to relax for a few weeks before gearing up for Chanukah. A good time to reflect… So we would like to hear from you! What did you like about the holidays (not just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but also Sukkot, Hoshanah Rabba, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah)? It is at this time of the year that the Religious Committee talks about what went right and what went less-than-right, so we can keep the good and improve the rest. To encourage feedback, I will ask a few specific questions. However, please feel free to comment on any aspect(s) of any services. And remember, positive feedback is also welcome (if you really liked something, let us know that, too!). 1. High Holidays: How can we get people from the

back of the room to the front of the room? Seats in the sanctuary are ‘reserved’ (some have been permanently purchased by congregants, some are purchased for this year only), but when those congregants are not attending, the front can seem empty. Does anyone have an idea on how we can literally “move the congregation forward”?

2. Sukkot: On the first day of Sukkot, those who purchased lulavim assembled them in the sanctuary.

This occurred partly because the lulavim didn’t get delivered in time for assembly before the service, but Rabbi felt that this would be a good educational opportunity for the congregation as well. Your thoughts?

3. Shemini Atzeret: We held two Shacharit services on Shemini Atzeret, one at 7:00 and one at 9:30. This allowed some congregants who wish to attend the Yizkor service the opportunity to do so, even if they had to go to work that day. Especially for those who attended this service: should we continue to have two services, or is the demand for this service no longer there?

4. Simchat Torah: Regarding both Maariv (the evening service) and Shaharit (the morning service): What did you think? How was the service? How were the snacks? (A quick thanks to all who brought in bottles of schnapps - although some were the strangest alcoholic beverages I have ever seen. What ever happened to whiskey?)

There! If that doesn’t inspire comments and questions, I don’t know what will! The holidays are over (for a few weeks, anyway). Take a moment and send me your thoughts ([email protected];[email protected]; 610-449-8823). The Religious Committee really does want to hear from you!

Marc Besser, Chairperson

Religious Committee

News from the Religious Committee

Chanukah candles should be lit after dusk (tzet ha-kochavim), except on Friday night, when Chanukah candles must be lit before Shabbat candles. This year, between December 25 and January 1, dusk ranges from 5:27-5:31 PM. Longer-lasting Chanukah candles should be used on Friday night, December 30 so that the lights will still be burning past dusk. It helps to put your candles in the refrigerator or freezer before using them, to make them burn longer. The first night of Chanukah is on Sunday, December 25. Light candles (the shamash and the first candle) after 5:27 PM. The eighth night of Chanukah is on Sunday, January 1. Light candles (the shamash and all eight candles) after 5:31 PM.

Hymie’s Hints for Chanukah


Beyt T’Fillah—Our House of Prayer

whether the rules for Chanukah candles are different than the rules for Shabbat candles; in this context, another rabbi asks, as if he had barely heard of the festival, “Mai Chanukah?” "What is this Chanukah?" The relative absence of the Chanukah story from our sacred texts might be simply explained by politics. The Rabbis were not big fans of the Maccabees perhaps because the Hasmoneans did not remain true to their principles. After expelling the Syrian-Greek empire, they made themselves and their offspring kings. This violated the ancient Israelite constitution, which required that priest and king be of different tribes, so as to create a

check-and-balance system between religious and political power. The Maccabees began as rebels against the Seleucid empire, but gradually became both socially and politically more Hellenized. Furthermore, the Hasmonean kings sided with the Sadducees making them the enemies of the Pharisees. It was the

Pharisees who are the predecessors of the Rabbis, the founders of the Judaism we know today. In contrast to the Sadducees, who viewed Temple sacrifices as the primary path to God, the Pharisees considered prayer, study, the interpretation of Torah, and the performance of acts of loving kindness, to be the primary ways of connecting with God. The Rabbis believed that only spiritual power, not physical might could preserve the Jewish people. Myth: The miracle of Chanukah is that a small jug of oil, that only contained enough oil for one night, burned for 8 nights. Fact: The miracle of the oil that lasted for 8 days is described by the Rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 121b. However, the apocryphal books Maccabees 1 and 2 don’t seem to know anything about this miracle of oil. These texts (2 Macc 10: 1-8) explain the eight-day festival in very pragmatic terms; they tell us that during the year of the revolt against Antiochus, the Maccabees were on the run and were unable to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. So when they finally liberated the Temple, they made up for it, two and a half months later, with an eight-day festival. There’s nothing there about a cruse of oil lasting for eight days. In Maccabees 1 and 2, the focus is on the military campaign against the Syrian Greeks. We also learn

about the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty under the Hasmoneans. In the Al Ha-Nissim (“For the Miracles” ) prayer that is inserted into Birkat Ha-Mazon and the Amidah during Chanukah, the miracle that is highlighted is the defeat of a large, strong army by a small, weak army. In this prayer, no mention is made of Judah Maccabee; the credit for the miraculous military victory is attributed to God. Myth: Chanukah is a holiday for children. Fact: Beyond latkes and dreidels, the Chanukah story teaches us valuable lessons about the importance of asserting our Jewish identity and standing up for our religious beliefs in a non-Jewish world. Notice that the Haftarah that is chanted on the Shabbat of Chanukah contains the words of the prophet Zechariah, “Not by might and not by valor but by God’s spirit do human beings triumph.” It is possible to be part of American society without giving up who we are as Jews. Taking off work or encouraging our children to take off school on the Jewish holidays are ways in which we can exercise our religious freedom and express how proud we are to be Jewish. Chanukah teaches us to proudly assert our Jewish identities, rather than trying to hide who we are or invisibly blend in. Our non-Jewish neighbors are more likely to have respect for us if we show them that we have respect for ourselves. If you want to further enhance your appreciation and understanding of this holiday as an adult, you might want to consider buying one of the Chanukah anthologies compiled by Noam Zion and Barbara Spectre. A Different Light: The Big Book of Hanukkah, is a collection of traditional and modern essays by historians, philosophers, scientists and rabbis across the religious spectrum. A Different Light: The Hanukkah Book of Celebration is a companion volume with guidelines for celebrating the holiday, including a candle-lighting ceremony, Hebrew songs, and contemporary English readings. These books are more than philosophical intellectual anthologies. They include wonderful photographs and cartoons, as well as information on food, fun, gambling, gift giving, games, sports, crafts, and even scientific experiments with light.

Chag Ha-Urim Sameach, May your Festival of Lights be filled with happiness,

Rabbi Lisa Malik

“Not by might and not by valor but by God’s spirit do human beings triumph”

—Zechariah 4:6


Beyt T’Fillah —our house of prayer

Miracles Chanukah is a holiday of miracles. Just watch the faces of your children as they light their candles or spin dreidels (and of course as they open presents). And the celebration of the miracle of the lights always occurs at the darkest time of year (at the winter solstice and the new moon of Tevet), a perfect time of year to drive off the double demons of physical and spiritual darkness with the ever increasing lights of the Chanukah candles. It has always fascinated me that the Mishnah, which was formed during and after the events surrounding the miraculous victory of the Maccabbees over Antiochus and the Syrian Greeks, has absolutely nothing to say about the wars led by the priestly family of Mattathias. Rather it discusses the miracle of the lights in the rededication ceremony of the Temple, that one day's worth of oil lasted for eight days. Why would the Rabbis of the Mishnah discuss an unsubstantiated miracle rather than a factual one. I believe that the answer can be found in the Haftarah that is read on Shabbat Chanukah. It is a reading taken from the prophet Zechariah who, 350 years earlier, had predicted that the Kingdom of Israel would be re-established under the rule of a descendant of the House of David. As God provides for the miracle of Israel's rebirth he speaks through the prophet saying that this miracle would occur "not by might, and not by power, but by My (God's) Spirit.” So, you might ask, what does this have to do with the miracle of Chanukah. Well look at the account in Torah of the creation of the world. On the first day of creation it was God's spirit that hovered over the chaos. And God's spirit commanded: "Let there be light!" When our Rabbis commanded us to ignite the lights for Chanukah, they were to remind us of the light produced by God's spirit. It is a light capable of establishing physical order out of physical chaos as with the creation of the world, but it is also a light capable of refreshing one's spirit when darkness has enveloped one's soul. The prophet Isaiah, speaking God's words says "...I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; from darkness I will put light before them." (Is42:16). The Rabbis of the Mishnah knew that the physical miracle of the Maccabbees was short-lived, and indeed the Temple restored by them was eventually destroyed. But the miracle of the lights is a miracle that is repeated for us every year at this season.

Happy Chanukah to you all.

Cantor Friedrich

The Cantor’s Notes ATTENTION Families with Students in 5th and 6th

Grade:

You are invited to participate in a Bar/Bat Mitzvah educational workshop

and orientation

Sunday morning, January 29, from 10 AM-12 PM

The first hour of the meeting (10-11 AM) will be a Jewish Family Education session for parents and children. The second hour of the meeting is for parents, during which you will have the opportunity to hear about and ask questions regarding your child’s upcoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony and celebration. During this part of the meeting, we hope to distribute the newly revised Bar/Bat Mitzvah manual. Children who are not in the religious school are welcome to stay for the second hour of the meeting. Students in the Gimel and Dalet classes of the religious school will return to class at approximately 11 AM. Please RSVP to Ruth Asbel in the synagogue office. We look forward to seeing you on January 29! Sincerely, Rabbi Lisa Malik, Cantor Steven Friedrich, and Principal Bernice Shore

Support the Conservative/Masorti Movement-- Vote in the WORLD ZIONIST

CONGRESS ELECTIONS. Any American Jew, 18 years or older is eligible to vote. Registration extends until January 15, 2006 by mail and February 15, 2006 online. The Registration Fee is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. Ballots will then be sent to registrants and votes must be submitted by February 28, 2006. You can then vote in support of the Conservative/Masorti Movement. Go to www.mercazusa.org to link to the American Zionist voter registration form or use the registration form (insert) in this bulletin.

Sharon Benveneste Mercaz USA


Beyt Midrash—our house of Study

Our children have been busy preparing for our Annual Men’s Club Chanukah Breakfast on December 18th. Regular classes will be held that morning from 9:00am-10:30am followed by the breakfast. All families are encouraged to make early reservations so that you can share in the festivities. Parents who are unable to attend are asked to pick up their child at 12:00pm. Early session students are expected to stay for the performance and will be treated to breakfast; Mechinah 1 students will arrive at their regularly scheduled time but will join their teachers in the Liss Auditorium for the performance and breakfast. Aya Bleicher Nugent is organizing a mitten, hat and scarf collection for needy children. Please send in these items to class with your child. We are also looking for the necessary items to be mailed to Jeff Friedrich and our troops in Iraq. Check your child’s school bag for the list. If you have not yet contacted Helene Berkowitz to help out with PTO, please call her at 610-853-2920. Should you have any school related questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at 610-353-0741. Best wishes from my family to yours for a Happy Chanukah and a pleasant winter break.

B’Shalom

Bernice N. Shore Principal

Principally Speaking

School Dates 12/3 Jr. Cong.-Aleph-Hey 10:30-12:00 12/10 Jr. Cong & Mechina 10:30-12:00 12/17 Jr. Cong Family Shabbat & Mechinah 10:30—12:00 12/18 Regular Classes, 9:00—10:30

Breakfast, 10:30—12:00

12/15 Begin Winter Break.

No classes through 1/3/06

1/4/06 Classes Resume

1/7/06 Jr. Cong.-Aleph-Hey-10:30-12:00

PLAY AND LEARN

Did you spot the pilgrims and the Native Americans who met at Plymouth Rock? The Havertown location of this famous rock is located at the bottom of the SJCC B’nai Aaron driveway and is the usual meeting spot for this reunion. If your child is a graduate of Play and Learn, ask her if she remembers this “event” from their preschool days. We would also like to welcome Naomi Fuiman, Jack Richter and Anna Falk who have all recently joined our Tot-E-Lahs program.

Essie Cutler, Director

Molly L. and Sara B. holding a giant shofar that ‘visited’ our school.

Artists Julies M., Rivkah W., Sara B., Josh K, and Ava L show off their creations.


Beyt Midrash—our house of Study

“L’Shem Chinuch”: “For The Sake Of Education” Sundays 10:00 AM ongoing Mishnah Yomit Michael Shore

Saturdays @ Mincha ongoing Tradition Class: Halacha in the Rabbi Malik & Adi Wyner

Times vary Beginning Nov. 5 Conservative Movement, based on

“Guide to Jewish Religious Practice”

Mondays 7:30 PM Nov. 7 — Jan 30 Tefillah Class: Melodies & More Cantor Friedrich

Thursdays 7:30 PM Jan. 5 — Feb. 23 Tanach Class: Biblical Stories of Rabbi Malik

7 sessions (no class on Feb. 2) Family Conflict and Their Insight Into our Daily Lives.

Wednesdays 9:00-10:30 AM Jan. 11 — Feb 15 Kehillat Lower Merion Local Rabbis: Jewish Learning Institute: Bernstein, Cooper, Mishnah B’rachot on Daily Prayers Malik, Stein, Wernick

Sundays 2:00 PM Feb. 5 Modern Jewish Literature: Rabbi Malik

5 sessions March 5 Jewish Book Discussion Group & Emilie Passow

Continues through June ‘06

The Hasmoneans, or Maccabees as they are more commonly known, defeated the Syrian Greeks and their assimilationist allies among the Jews. For the first few decades of their rule, they restored the Jewish religion, and nationalism. Then, the Hasmoneans became enamored of Greek ways and culture. That is why the talmudic sages ignored the military victory, and based Hanukkah on the miracle of the small quantity of olive oil for the Temple lamps lasting eight days. According to Bruce Feiler in “Where God was Born” (to be reviewed in a later Shema), the true miracle of faith was lighting the first lamp. The real believers in miracles today are those who think that the world oil supply will flow forever. They assume that some new technology will save our affluent life style, which is dependent on abundant, cheap energy. But the world is pumping about twice as much oil as is being located by petroleum geologists. The last super-giant oil field was discovered about 35 years ago, and to keep up with demand, we need to find such fields every five or ten years. Meanwhile, more people in China and India are buying cars, and burning gasoline. The shortages and high prices of early this year are likely to look good by the end of the decade. Petroleum shortages will be followed by shortages of natural gas. Until recently, North America produced all the gas it consumed; now America is importing more and more, often from politically unstable nations. Back in the Temple period, it

took eight days to prepare more oil. It will take many millions of years for Planet Earth to generate more petroleum and natural gas. It is technically feasible to make gas and oil from coal; the Germans did it during the Second World War, and later it was done in South Africa. TV ads by General Electric tell us that we have 250 years of coal. That is about the same amount of time as occurred since the industrial revolution. Is our present affluence to be only a blip on the time line of history? When I first started looking into energy matters, the estimate was a thousand years of coal. And then what? Where is the modern day Jonah proclaiming, "In 60 years time, industrial civilization as we know it will be destroyed!"? Where are the leaders who will listen? Hopefully, Americans will change our ways. We can give up our SUVs, and stop building McMansions on our best farm land. We can electrify the American rail system, and shift much passenger and freight traffic to the rails. And we can depend on fusion power again. For the past half century, the construction of fusion power plants has been predicted 30 years off in the future, and we have yet to build one on Earth. However, there is a giant fusion reactor, 92 million miles away, which provides energy for all life on Planet Earth. Thank God for the sun!

Ernest B. Cohen, PE, Ph.D.

The Miracle of Oil

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of other SJCC-BA congregants or its leadership.

See Adult Ed Course Catalog for detailed descriptions of these classes and more.


Beyt k’nesset—our house of gathering

The days are getting shorter and colder. May your heater keep running just fast enough that you can’t catch it. Thank you to Mike Berman for his very informative discussion at our last brunch about home inspections and getting your house ready for the winter. The Q&A afterwards was very interesting and the giveaways were great. I used my tape measure and found that this article measured up just right. There are a lot of things on the horizon. Keep an eye on the newsletter and the “Shema” so you don’t miss something important to you. Below is a brief summary of our upcoming events. Some things to note: The Art Re-Auction will provide you with an easy way to sell some collectibles, make some money and provide some money for the shul. To take advantage of this, though, we need to know if you have any items that you would like included. Either bring the item to us or get us a picture of it and we should be able to get you a good starting price. This promises to be a fun evening, but WE NEED ITEMS FROM YOU TO MAKE IT WORK. Shelly

Farber (610-356-8172) and Mike Berman (610-789-1664) are working on this event and would be happy to answer any questions. Please see the flyer in this and the last Shema. Parent-Child Shabbat is in January. If you want a part, please contact Joe Pless at 610-896-8602 or email him at [email protected].

If you are trying to get rid of old PCs, you can bring them to the synagogue and we will break them down and recycle the parts. All money from the recycling will go to the shul. We only want the PC system unit itself, NO monitors, keyboards, mice or printers. Thanks to Aaron Muderick for running this program. Anyone that can help with this program (picking up PCs, stripping PCs, etc.) should call Aaron. Remember our regular Mens Club meetings are on the 1st Wednesday of most months. Feel free to come to our meetings. Occasionally we even discuss something important. The post-meeting at the Oakmont Pub is also always interesting. We welcome you all!

See you at Shul, Brad

([email protected])

Men’s Club Update

12/04/05 Regional Man-of-the-Year dinner at Har Zion, Our Honoree (Joe Pless)

12/5/05 Eagles Monday Night Football on our big screen TV

12/18/05 Chanukah Breakfast

1/8/05 Breakfast – Judge Barry Dozor – “A Jewish Jurist's View From The Bench”

1/13/05 Parent Child Shabbat

1/14/05 ARTrageous – Art Re-auction

“?” An evening with our new commissioner (We’ll let you know when we have a date for this one.)

Men’s Club Upcoming Events

It has been quite a month for our youth groups. Kadima had another wonderful turnout for their movie night. There were over 20 members in attendance and our overall membership continues to grow. It is never too late to sign your child up. Also during November, USY's calendar was filled as well with their annual Fall Convention held this year at Beth Judah, in Ventnor. Our USYers also had a blast at Turkey Trot Dance. There were over 600 USYers from the region at the dance. As December rolls around, we are excited to have our Hoagie Sale on December 18, 2005 to help raise money for Tikun Olam. Please order from the order sheet in this newsletter. We are also very excited to be having our first Kadima and USY families together for a Shabbat dinner on December 16, 2005. More information about this dinner will follow shortly. Please email Scott London, advisor for both groups, at [email protected] for more info.

Happy Thanksgiving. Scott London, Youth Advisor

…News Alert...USY Update….

December 2005/Cheshvan~Kislev 5766 Beyt k’nesset—our house of gathering

Save the Date

Sunday, December 4 Sisterhood Fashion Show featuring

fashions from Marlene’s of Collingswood

Sunday, December 11 Founder’s Day at Har Zion

December 12-16

SJCCBA week at Children’s Book World

Monday , December 19 Sisterhood monthly meeting

Saturday, December 24

“Twas the night before Chanukah” Fun for the entire family.

The month of November seemed to vanish in the wink of an eye. It was a fairly quiet month as far as Sisterhood activities were concerned, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Harriet Bissey for our fun evening at the Mud Room in Ardmore. We had a great time creating pieces of pottery and schmoozing with friends for a few hours. Looking forward to the month of December is Sisterhood’s Fashion Show on Sunday, December 4th at 10 am. Many women have been very busy preparing for it for months and we’re confident it will be a fabulous success! Come and shop the 14 vendors’ tables before the show and a delicious brunch begin and get a head start on your Chanukah shopping. On December 24th come to synagogue with your family, in your PJ’s and slippers, for “The Night Before Chanukah Pajama Party” beginning at 7 pm. It will be an evening of rollicking fun for the entire family with cartoons, a movie, music and dancing, a pajama parade and pizza, munchies and make-your-own sundaes. The cost is $10 per person with a $50 maximum. RSVP by Dec. 16th to Ilene Guzik-Farber at 610-353-6072 or E-mail: [email protected].

Founder’s Day is quickly approaching on Sunday, December

11 at Har Zion at 10 am. Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Director of Jewish Life at The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore will be speaking on “Pirke Imahot” Ethics of our Mothers: A Work in Progress. The cost to you is $14.50 pp. (Sisterhood is subsidizing half). RSVP to Barbara Shanefield at 610-449-2045. We have a wonderful opportunity for everyone to financially help our shul. From Dec.12th through Dec.16th Children’s Book World in Haverford will be giving us 20% of all sales made to our members or anyone who mentions us at the time of purchase. They have a terrific variety of books, especially Chanukah books, for children from babies to teenagers. Browse their shelves and I’m sure you’ll find many items to fill your Chanukah needs. See the flyer in the Shema for more details. Thank you, Elizabeth Muderick, for stepping up and filling our need for a chairperson for Leagrams. Everyone enjoys receiving a Leagram at anniversary time and we’re so happy that our tradition stays alive. Aimee Miller Sisterhood Co-President

Sisterhood News

The Torah Fund Campaign of Women's League is committed to assuring that Conservative Judaism will remain an option for our grandchildren and their children's children. Its funds and efforts are directed toward helping The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Additionally, Torah Fund contributions enable our future rabbis and cantors to spend a year of study in Israel. It is the understanding, the passion, and the commitment gained during this experience that has and will continue to aid our rabbis in rallying their congregants at moments of crisis or particular need. Thank you for your generous support in the past. Please consider becoming a Benefactor at $180. and wear the beautiful Shalom pin as thanks for your participation. The money can be paid incrementally until the end of May, 2006. As always, any contribution is welcome and greatly appreciated. Sharon Benveneste, Chair Sisterhood Torah Fund Campaign [email protected]

Torah Fund 5766


BUILDING FUND In honor of Rabbi Malik & Adi Wyner for all the Joy & Ruach at Sukkot & Simchat Tora

Bonnie & Alex Klein In honor of Don Miller’s 50th birthday

Marcia Metlin & Charles Smolover ROOF & BUILDING REPAIR FUND In honor of Rabbi Malik with appreciation and thanks

Sue & Dave Korenstein On the yahrzeit of Milton Manning

Sue & Dave Korenstein ADOPT A FAMILY WINIG RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FUND WINIG LIBRARY FUND In memory of Beverly Shapiro’s father, Gerson Shapiro

Eleanore & Gil Besser FLORAL FUND LANDSCAPE FUND MEMORIAL FUND

In memory of Eileen Sue Raphaelson Hope & Paul Uhr & Family In memory of Murray Greenberg’s father, Seymour Greenberg

Hope & Paul Uhr & Family Debbie & Jeff Adler

On the yahrzeit of Bessie Kushner Sylvia Hoffman

On the yahrzeit of Fannie Silverman Blanche Rodens On the yahrzeit of Stanley Cantor

Wendy & Jerry Santoro On the yahrzeit of Eva Lazar

Ida & Ed Lazar On the yahrzeit of Isaac Steinman

Marilyn & Philip Steinman On the yahrzeit of Shirley Weinstein

Garry & Cecelia Rothmel On the yahrzeit of Eva Rothmel

Garry & Cecelia Rothmel On the yahrzeits of Raye & Jacob Cominsky

Marcia Barrett In memory of Martin B. Gorodetzer

Rose & Phil Brill JOY FUND In honor of the birth of Rae & Milt Goldberg’s great granddaughter, Lili

Louise & Sol Cooperstein

In honor of the naming of Naomi & Ken Kolton-Fromm’s son, Isaiah

Marcia & Larry Arem In honor of the birth of Jordan Benjamin Glassman

Bobbi & Lew Gordon In honor of our daughter, Hannah Messinger, being inducted into the National Honor Society

Alex & Karen Messinger In honor of the birth of Dr. & Mrs.Garth Koniver’s grandson

Bobbi & Lew Gordon In honor of the birth of Eileen Micklin’s granddaughter, Jenna Ashley Micklin

Bobbi & Lew Gordon In honor of our grandson, Alec Epstein, becoming a Bar Mitzvah

Lil & Joe Epstein In honor of Michael Dubin’s birthday

Jackie & Phil Brookman In honor of Joe Burak’s “Special” birthday

Beth Weinstein & Bill Elnick In honor of Melissa Berkowitz becoming a Bat Mitzvah

Essie & Rick Cutler In honor of the birth of Marilyn & Sid Steinberg’s grandson

Eleanor & Bernie Brody Blanche Silverman

Wendy & Jerry Santoro Rita & Aaron Pestcoe

MITZVAH FUND In memory of Murray Greenberg’s father, Seymour Greenberg

Rhoda & Mel Shralow YJCC BETH TEFILLAH SCHOLARSHIP FUND In memory of Beverly Shapiro’s father, Gerson Shapiro

Rose & Phil Brill TORAH REPAIR FUND In honor of Dorothy Schnall on the occasion of her first aliyah Yasher Koach

Ann & Michael Muderick In honor of Sylvan J. Hurewitz in recognition of a special favor performed for me

Mark Lipschutz In honor of a speedy recovery for Ronnie Krause

Sol & Louise Cooperstein In memory of Murray Greenberg’s father, Seymour Greenberg

Eileen Micklin & Family On the yahrzeit of Frances Hahn

Doreen & Curt Shumsky On the yahrzeit of Morris Schwartz

David Schwartz & Family

PRAYER BOOK FUND In memory of Ben Cutler

Sol & Louise Cooperstein CAMP RAMAH SCHOLORSHIP FUND In memory of Murray Greenberg’s father, Seymour Greenberg

Judy & Paul Kantrowitz RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND In honor of our 40th wedding anniversary

Rick & Essie Cutler In honor of the birth of Eileen Micklin’s granddaughter, Jenna Ashley Micklin

Tammy & Hunt Roberts In honor of our cousin, Don Miller, on his 50th birthday

Sharon & Anthony Corso In honor of our Uncle George Miller on his 85th birthday

Sharon & Anthony Corso In memory of Moritz Saionz

Trudy & Albert Schober On the yahrzeit of Betty Latzes

Michael Latzes On the yahrzeits of our parents, Samuel L. Cohn, Nettie Cohn, Dr. James Goldfield & Minna Goldfield at Shemini Atzeret

Marian & Al Cohn On the yahrzeit of Albert Fatell

Bonnie & Howard Fatell On the yahrzeit of Martha Moskowitz

Samuel J. Moskowitz

TREE OF LIFE SHALOM WALL PLAQUES In honor of Eli Fiegenbaum who will become a Bar Mitzvah December 17, 2005

His Family

CONGRATULATIONS To Joe Burak on his special birthday To Don Miller on his special birthday To Rae & Milt Goldberg on the birth of their great granddaughter, Lili To Helene & Michael Berkowitz on the occasion of Melissa becoming a Bat Mitzvah To Adele & Charles Berkowitz & Esther & Bob

Suburban Jewish Community Center – Bnai Aaron gratefully acknowledges and thanks the many individuals and families who made these contributions:

מזל טוב


Wolfe on the occasion of their granddaughter, Melissa Berkowitz, becoming a Bat Mitzvah To Shelly & Arie Doron on the occasion of Itai becoming a Bar Mitzvah To Hannah Messinger, daughter of Karen & Alex Messinger, on her induction into the National Honor Society To Eileen Micklin on the birth of her 1st grandchild, Jenna Ashley Micklin, born to Martin & Terri Micklin & niece of Erica Micklin To Linda Lassoff on the occasion of Joshua becoming a Bar Mitzvah To Hilda & Irv Lassoff on the occasion of their grandson, Joshua becoming a Bar Mitzvah To Carol & Charles Fishman on the occasion of Rachel becoming a Bat Mitzvah

To Shelley & Art Mansky on the upcoming occasion of Ben becoming a Bar Mitzvah

To Jodi & Mitchell Feigenbaum on the upcoming occasion of Eli becoming a Bar Mitzvah

To Jackie & Philip Brookman on the upcoming occasion of their grandson, Eli becoming a Bar Mitzvah

To Bonnie & Eli Yael on the upcoming occasion of David becoming a Bar Mitzvah

To Marilyn & Sid Steinberg on the birth of their grandson to Michael & Helene Steinberg Covone

GET WELL Max Zweben, Alice Sobin, Ernest Cohen, Sarina Dane, Bernice Melnicove, Eda Fruchtman, Irv Lassoff, Howard Fatell, Jean Saionz, Nathan Form, Ruth Harris CONDOLENCES To Beverly Shapiro on the death of her father, Gerson Shapiro, our esteemed congregant

Beyt k’nesset-our house of gathering

המקו� ינח�

רפואה שלמש

Help!...we need plenty of it As a result of the generosity of families hosting events, and the hard work of a few committed members, Sisterhood Catering has provided celebratory meals and raised a great deal of money on behalf of our shul. We depend on your help for our success. As our community continues to grow, we need your help more than ever. Everyone at SJCCBA appreciates the delicious meals that are offered for Friday night dinners, the desserts at Onegs and Kiddush luncheons that are offered in celebration of family simchas. However, not everyone may appreciate how much work is involved in preparing these meals. During the month of November, five women showed up to cook dinner for 165 guests. Another evening eight members showed up to prepare a luncheon for 225. (And yes two of these 8 were men!) What is a lot of work for five volunteers is much easier if there are ten volunteers. As they say, ‘many hands make light work’… Remember Sisterhood catering is for everyone! The kitchen is not just for women. Men have helped out in the past, but they continue to be outnumbered by the women. And not having a baby-sitter is no excuse. There are often plenty of tasks that school age children can help out with, ranging from setting tables to putting desserts on trays. SJCCBA is a hands on shul. Whether you are an old or new member it is never too late to get involved. If you are not sure how to get involved just come help prepare a meal. What better way is there to get know people than working on a project together? Contact Tammy Roberts (610-853-2336) to sign up for email reminders or to ask questions. We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen.

As a way of further building community among our members and to provide opportunities for socializing with each other outside of the synagogue, we are planning to distribute our current membership directory as an insert in the next issue of the Shema. The directories will only be distributed to members of Suburban Jewish Community Center-Bnai Aaron for internal communication purposes. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the synagogue office to let Pam know if any of your information needs to be updated or if there are any phone numbers that you would prefer be unlisted in the directory. Please submit the e-mail addresses of all of your family members, if we do not already have them on file. All submissions, notifications of revisions, and privacy requests must be communicated to Pam by December 15. If we don’t hear from you by then, we will assume that you have consented to include your current information in the directory. Todah Rabbah. Thank you.

Synagogue Directory

Sisterhood Gift Shop

Chanukah is around the corner bringing with it 8 days of candles, latkes and gifts. Stop in the Sisterhood Gift Shop any Wednesday afternoon during religious school hours or Sunday morning to get a new menorah or to find that special gift that you are looking for!

Beyt K’nesset—Our House of Gathering

MAIN LINE KOSHER MEATS, INC. raf rac

919 MONTGOMERY AVENUE, NARBERTH, PA 19072

A FULL SERVICE DELICATESSEN FOR EAT-IN OR TAKE-OUT

AND THE BEST IN KOSHER MEATS CATERING AVAILABLE


In an effort to modernize the annual Bid 'n Buy, bring some new life to the format, and to try to increase profits, we are asking all synagogue members for help. If you, or anyone you know, can donate goods or services the Bid 'N Buy committee would be very appreciative. We are looking for gift certificates for anything from car detailing, manicures and pedicures, restaurants, invitations, flower arrangements, etc. to a weekend in the Poconos, a day of sailing on your private yacht. We will accept tangible goods like jewelry, wicker furniture, small appliances, houshold items. All items must be new and in the original packaging. If need be, items can be picked up by members of the committee.

Please contact: Judi Ostroff 610-353-4034

Bonnie Klein 610-658-2172

Bid ‘N Buy-Save the Date Tuesday ,March 21 2006 6:30 PM

Special Events in 2006

Comedian Israel Campbell, Saturday, March 18 8:00 pm Philadelphia Inquirer - Born at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in 1963, Christopher Campbell was raised Catholic in Lower Merion. He attended schools in Rose Valley and Ardmore. He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School. Today he is known as Yisrael Campbell, a black-clad Orthodox Jew, living in Jerusalem and performing a poignant, hour-long, English-language monologue about his religious conversion that leaves audiences alternating between rapt silences as he talks about the friends he lost to suicide bombings and fits of laughter over his quirky spiritual quest. Read the complete article at:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/2005/11/13/news/nation/13151842.htm

Israel Campbell will perform at SJCC-Bnai Aaron. The night will be a great event with food, drink and laughter. Mark your calendar now.

Announcing Scholar in Residence: Professor David Ruderman

University of Pennsylvania Professor David Ruderman will be visiting SJCC-Bnai Aaron as our Scholar-In-Residence. Professor Ruderman is the Joseph Meyerhoff Professor

of Early Modern Jewish History and Director of the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His area of specialization is medieval and early modern Jewish history and thought. He serves as editor of the Center's series in Judaic studies called "Jewish culture and contexts." He has taught

in the Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and was a fellow at the Institute for advanced Studies at the Hebrew University. He has lectured widely to university audiences, as well as clergy, community, synagogue and church groups. The actual date has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, the weekend will feed both your mind and body, with Dr. Ruderman’s discussions conveniently scheduled around meal times. Please plan to join us for what promises to be a thought provoking weekend.

the voice of suburban jewish community center- bnai …ajw/jewish/december05shma.pdf · the voice...

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