The Bulletin of Congregation Ner Tamid, December 1999

Congregation Ner Tanjid Tan *u rfjnp The Reform Jewish Synagogue of Las Vegas ...A Special Place to Belong December 1999 - Vol. XIV No. 3 Sanford D. Akselrad Rabbi Bella Feldman Cantorial Soloist Drew Levy President Neal Schuster Student Rabbi 22 Kislev - 22 Tevet 5760 Monty E. Willey Executive Director Jacqueline Fleekop Education Director Lois Bergman Preschool Director Melanie Gorman Program Director Congregant of the Year - Phyllis Mark Phyllis Mark retired to 1977 from Chicago with She retired as a ?Ready thirty-five years. They Tamid in the Fall of 1978. terhood and has been has served on the sister- years and was president years. At the time of her about twenty-five mem- frame, Phyllis carried the her car! She eventually of her car and into our fmple was built in 1983. e Gift Shop and is a ;ms found there. With Las Vegas in August of her husband Norman, to Wear? buyer of over joined Congregation Ner Phyllis quickly joined Sis- very active since. She hood board for twelve of the sisterhood for two residency there were ers. During this time gift shop in the back of moved tne Gift Shop out new facility when the She currently manages buyer of all the beautiful the completion of our facility in 1995, Phyllis nated many items to help set up the new gift shop and it was dedicated (continued on page 9) (Don't (Miss Debbie (Friedman! Debbie F riedman, famous (Jewish songstress, will Be in Las Vegas on January 9th. She and her Band will perform one concert only at The Orleans at 2pm. The event will Be sponsored By Congregation Her Tamid, Temple ?Beth Shofom, and The Milton I. Schwartz (Hebrew ?Academy. There will Be a free ice cream social at The Orleans following the concert. (All ticket holders are invited. Debbie (Friedman is a wor(d-renowned petformer and composer of contemporary Jewish music. She has 15 albums and has written and sung such favorites as The Mi shebeirach, L?chi Lach, The (Aleph Bet Song, I(Am a Lathe, and Oseh Shalom. She has performed so(d-out concerts throughout the United States including Carn?egie (Hall. Ms. Friedman?s music is a combination of the (American folk music vernacular, the (Hasidic contemplative tradition and Jewish spirituality. She per?forms ad over the United States, Canada, Furope and Israel you can purchase tickets at CHT, Temple BethSholom, and The Mdton I. Schwartz (Hebrew (Academy. Or, you can phone 733-6292, fa% 733-8553 or e-mail CHTBrogdir@aol.com your order to CHJT. Blease Be sure to include ticket and payment information. Premier seats wit! Be $30for seniors, $36for adults, and $20for chudren. Reservedgeneral admission seats will Be $15 for seniors, $18for adults, and $10for children. Senior tickets are for 55 and older, children?s tickets l for 12 and under. Tickets are going fast, so don?t wait! (Don?t miss the first ijor Jewish cultural event of the year 2000! c l Special Qo Hieititnf \ $21 | Bring In the New Year with Rabbi Akselrad! Our Special New Year?s Services, Friday, December 31 will begin at 5:30 pm as we welcome the year 2000 together. Worship Services 2 Rabbi?s Message 2 Message from our President 3 Notes from our Cantorial Soloist 4 School News 5 Director?s Spotlight 5 CNT Preschool 6 December B?nai Mitzvah 7 Board Profile 10 New Member Welcome 11 Board Beat 12 Birthdays/Anniversaries 13 Tributes 14 Yahrzeits & In Memorium 16 (the Bulletin is published monthly)?Worship Services Conducted by Rabbi Sanford D. Akselrod & Cantorial Soloist Bella Feldman December 3 Chanukah Family Service w/Jr. Choir 7:30pm Oneg Sponsored by the Sisterhood December 4 Samuel Raimist Bar Mitzvah 10am Torah Study Kiddush Sponsored by the Raimist Family December 10 Avriel Margolis Bat Mitzvah 7:30pm Oneg Sponsored by the Margolis Family December 11 Chance Tashman Bar Mitzvah 10:00am Kiddush Sponsored by The Tashman Family December 17 Shabbat Services 7:30pm Oneg Sponsored by the Sisterhood December 24 Shabbat Services 7:30pm Oneg Sponsored by the Sisterhood December 31 Shabbat Services 5:30pm Oneg Sponsored by the Sisterhood \ Conqreqat'ion N er Tam id As this bulletin arrives at your home, Chanukah will begin in just a few days. Aside from Passover, 1 would have to esti?mate that Chanukah is the most widely enjoyed and cel?ebrated of all jewish holidays. While opening presents and lighting the menorah are fun, we should also take this time to reflect upon the true mean?ing and spirit of Chanukah. This, of course, is not an easy task for as with many holidays both secular and religious, the mass commercialization of the holiday focuses us away from deeper meanings. And be?cause Chanukah falls near an?other holiday (which shall remain nameless!), it too of?ten becomes merely an excuse for eight days of present-giv?ing. Most of us have grown accus?tomed to thinking of the mira?cle story behind Chanukah as that of the little flask of pure olive oil that allowed the Ner Tamid to stay lit for eight days when in reality there was only enough oil to last for one day. This, in the scheme of mira?cles, isn?t a very big miracle! But it is one that we proudly retell every year. 1 would sug?gest though that there is an?other miracle behind this miracle that is even more im?portant. Think for a moment. The Maccabees looked at the flask of oil and recognized that it was only a small amount. Yet they decided to use it any?way to kindle the holy light. Most of us would have looked at the flask and said, ?Oh my, this won?t work. There isn?t enough oil. We have failed.? The miracle of the Maccabees is that they had faith that some?how things would work out. While most of us realize that it is fool hearty to go into a ven?ture without a well thought out plan, the Bible teaches us that sometimes, we simply have to take a ?leap of faith.? That is what the Maccabees did. They had faith that once they began their holy task, somehow, some?way, they would find a method to make things work. How often have we worked wj^k people who have forecast ure before they even startet^B project? And what about those who take the ball and run with it. Who have a vision, a dream of what could and should be, and they are the leaders. The ones who make things happen, just like the Maccabees, just like all great men and women of his?tory. That miracle of faith and leader?ship is truly what Chanukah is all about. So when you are opening pre?sents, spinning the dreidel and having your fill of latkes, don?t forget to remind your children of the importance of dreaming, of leading; and of knowing that life is about facing challenges with everything at our disposal; especially our faith. B?shalom, ?Rabbi Sanford Slfse, Deceiver 1999 De t rew Levy Stewart Blumenfeld Scott Stolberg Howard Layfer Ira Spector Judy Cornet Lynn Sasso Sylvia B eller David Stahl Ruth Urban Mel Hallerman Rita Goldstein Frances Klamian Jacky Rosen Leon Marco Jere' Davis Esther Saltzman Sharna Blumenfeld Mindy Unger-Wadkins Sandy Stolberg Steve Joseph Stuart Kallick TBD Sandy PiTtle Bob Unger Jerry Gordon Cal Lewis Eileen Kollins Kenneth Schnitzer Dr. David Wasserman r. Steve Kollins ichael Cherry r. Bernard Farrow ugene Kirshbaum* Rabbi Sanford Akselrad President VP Administration VP Ways <6 Means VP Membership VP Religious Activities VP Education & Youth VP Member Activities VP Social Action Treasurer Secretary Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee-Membership Trustee Trustee Trustee-Youth Trustee-Library Trustee-Bulletin Sisterhood Brotherhood NTTY TNT Golden Chai Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Past President Ex Officio *Deceased 1? Bs&eb K&ifc?$ Ktowaa-.fas? imami & m semjsmm eiiass DECEMbER1999 ESSAGE FROM OUR TEMPLE PRESIDENT As you reacI This newsIetter, t^e ChANukAh holidAy will hAVE start- Ed. On bEbAlf of tIie boARd of trust-- ees, My family, ANd MySElf Iet ME wish EAch ANd EVERy MEMbER of our tempIe family a HAPPY CHANUKAH. Also, wfrh DECEMbER COMES tHe TiME foR tIte UAHC to bold iTS BiENNi- aI, This yEAR iN ORlANdo. Not ONly is TbE BiENNiAl A cbANCE foR US TO QATbER wiTb 4-5,000 REfoRM JEWS fROM AROUNd TbE WORld, buT iT is A cbANCE TO IeARN MORE AboUT TbE REfoRM MOVEMENT ANd wbAT MaI<ES iT "Tick." WORkshopS ANd SEMiNARS are bEld on a widE VARiETy of sub- jects; From REfoRM woRsbip to Cre- ATiNq TEAcbERS fROM PARENTS ANd MEMbERS of TbE CONqREQATiON, fROM CONVERSION iNiTiATiVES TO OuTREAcb pROqRAMS TbAT ENqAqE TbE wbok iNTERfAiTb fAMily. Over TbE 5 dAy BiENNiAl TbERE ARE buNdREds of dif- fERENT SubjECTS. It is iMpOSSiblE foR ONE PERSON TO TRy ANd ATTENd EVERyrbiNq. It is a true testamant TO OUR CONqREqATION TbAT A fEW of OUR MEMbERS WOuld TAkE TbE TiME TO ATTENd This EVENT, All foR TbE bETTERMENT of TbE CONqREqATiON. TbERE ARE Also MANy pROqRAMS fOR Tbs lAy lEAdERsbip ANd boARd of TRUSTEES. TbESE pROqRAMS hElp US bETTER UNdERSTANd OUR jobs ANd RESpONSibiliTiES TO TbE CONqREqATiON. It is VERy ENliqhTNiNq to bs Abls to SiT iN A ROOM wiTb OThER lAy lEAd- ERS ANd IeARN fROM ThEiR EXpERiENC- ES WiTb iSSUES TbAT WE Also fACE. SbARiNq ANd lEARNiNq is TbE MAiN qoAl. We will aII bRiNq bAck to CNT loTS of iNfoRMATiON TO bE AblE TO sbARE wiTb TbE CONqREqATiON. On Tbs Fun sidE, UAHC puts to- qETbER A BiENNiAl ChiOR, wiTb MEM?bERS From aII over TbE worW, TbAT PERFORMS AT VARiOUS TiMES. Also TbERE ARE VARiOUS NiqbTly ENTERTAiNMENT qET TOqETbERS wbERE ATTENdEES qATbER TO SiNq, dANCE ANd MEET EAcb OTbER. Two yEARS Aqo iN DaIIas, we were TREATEd TO A liVE CONCERT by SOME of TbE MORE fAMOUS kwish MUSiciANS such as DEbbiE FRiEdMAN ANd Peter Yarrow of Peter, PauI ANd MARy fAME. This yEARS pARTicipANTS bAVE NOT bEEN ANNOUNCEd, buT I AM SURE iT will bE A REAl TREAT. TbE BiENNiAl is bEld EVERy TWO yEARS ANd is OPEN TO ANy MEMbER of A REfoRM CONqRE?qATiON. If you ThiNk you would bs iNTERESTEd fOR TbE NEXT ONE, iN 2001, pIease Iet me kNow. ANOTbER iMpORTANT pART of TbE BiENNiAl is TbE busiNESS pORTiON. A NUMbER of iSSUES ANd RESoluTiONS dEfiNiNq TbE woRldwidE posiTioN of TbE UAHC ARE diSCUSSEd ANd TbEN voTEd on by TbE dslEqATES. This yEAR TbERE ARE NiNE RESoluTiONS TO COME bEfORE TbE dElEqATES. ISSUES fROM TbE UAHC's CoMMiTMENT TO AfRiCA TO LiviNq WAqE CAMpAiqNS, to Smart CROWTb, TO TRANsfoRMiNq CoNqRE- qATiONS iNTO iNclusiVE ANd CARiNq Jew- ish CoMMUNiTiES. Our CONqREqATiON is AlloTEd SEVEN VOTES fOR All MEETiNq SESSiONS. Full dETAilsd iNfoRMATiON ON All TbE RESoluTiONS ARE iN pRiNTEd foRM ANd AVAiUblE iN TbE TEMplE offiCE. If you would likE a copy, pIease contact MoNTy WillEy or My- seIF We will report bAck to TbE BoARd of Trustees once we return fROM TbE BiENNiAl. Have a hEAhrhy, bAppy ANd pros?perous New Year!! ?Drezv cA S p ecia l r()la ce (77a Aielantj CoNQREQATiON NeR Tam id Holiday Gin Wrapping ? AT THE ^ All shifts through December 24th | Galleria Mall* ^ Volunteers Needed! A A v A ? Call Ay die Unger at 454-9331 to sign up AQAP! Hard work and FUN AT THE SAME TIME, A GREAT WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, AND A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT CNT! DECEMbER 1999 Forums provide an opportunity tor participants to share in an envi?ronment of mutual respect and en?lighten others to the reality of their faith. The goal is understanding, greater harmony and increased respect. I think the goal was accomplished at this years' pro?gram and that everyone who attended learned something new. This month, I will be participating in another interfaith program with our Adult Choir, also at the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer. For the second year, we will be sing?ing at a communitu-wide World Aids Day Service. The service will take place Wednesday, December 1 at 7pm. Last year's service was very moving and I encourage you to come and see this unique event. This is my last artcile before going out on maternity leave. I am thrilled to know I will be retruning to CNT on a part time basis begin?ning mid-March. I look forward to sharing many simohas with my congregational family. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe holi?day season and new year's cele?bration! ?Bella Last month, our Jr. Choir and I had a new wonderful experience I would like to share with you. We took part in a program put on by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) en?titled Children's Faith Through Mu?sic. Our Rabbi has served on the NCCJ Board and has participated in several of their forums over the years, but this was my first expe?rience being a panelist. I had the opportunity to be one of four presenters who shared about their faiths' beliefs related to music; and the Jr. Choir dem?onstrated the ways which music is used to develop and express their love of Judaism. Besides our group, there were representatives and children's choirs from the Cath?olic faith, the Bahai' faith and LD8. It was an interesting evening and very educational. It took place in the Shrine of the Most Holy Re?deemer, a beautiful church near the strip. The NCCJ Interfaith Forums is an ongoing effort to build bridges of understanding among the religious communities of Las Vegas. These ||5 r '-Mptesnom our Cantorial Soloist J) ? ---------------------------------------------------++----------------------------------1Religious School News The Last Days of the Secular Year 1999 December 31, 1999 ends a secular century. For the Jewish people, the date is the 22nd day of Tevet. We still have forty years to wait until the century ends! We do live in a secular world with the predictions of doom and gloom and Y2K. All the news shows and magazines are reflecting on the years of the past century. They are focusing on who was the most im?portant, what was the most impor?tant contribution, what were the most significant events and so forth. If we look back at the Jewish people, we can see advances, changes and people who have changed the world. When we asked our students what was the most important event, some said Israel becoming a nation while others felt it was the Holocaust. When asked who was the most im?portant Jewish person of this centu?ry, the replies were Albert Einstein, the father of relativity, Jonah Salk who developed the polio vaccine and Sandy Kofax, the baseball player who refused to play ball on Yom Kippur. We have progressed and we have sur?vived hate (but prejudice still exists). Many scholars are concerned that we are using assimilation as a shield of protection against hate to survive. Here at Congregation Ner Tamid we have a school full of wonderful chil?dren learning their history and heri?tage with the support of concerned parents and teachers. Our congre?gation offers us a place to join to?gether in celebration of our holidays and heritage. The Jewish people have made a place for themselves in the world but we still need to be stronger in Las Ve?gas. We need to support our faith by attending services, encouraging our children and participating in educa?tional programs. It is important too, that we consider the physical build?ing of CNT as an extension of our own homes, keeping it clean and paying the bills. Remember that the world is not coming to an end; we still have forty years until 5300. Great things are happening in our lives. I hope to see you at the Debbie Friedman concert January 9th at 2pm at The Orleans Hotel. Hopefully you will come to ser?vices Friday, January 14th and support our teens as we host winter conclave for 200 teens from across the west. January 23, the community will join together in a Tu D?Shevat (birthday of the trees) celebration. I wish each and everyone in my Con?gregational Family a healthy, happy and safe secular New Year. Qhalom, Jadqe ffeefyp As we approach the end of 1999. we must take time to reflect on the personal meaning of this once in a lifetime event. The coming of the millennium has captured ev?erybody's attention. From the thoughts of a tremendous party to the concerns of the Y2K. we have all put some energy into what next year will have in store for us. The temple has formed a long range planning committee to look into the future for Congregation Ner Tamid. Please look for future articles. As always. I have the responsibili?ty to remind our members of their financial obligations to Congrega?tion Ner Tamid. Meeting your obli?gations. on time, allows us to ?Executive Director continue with all the programs we offer, back of payment or delayed payments take a lot of staff time to keep track of the outstand?ing accounts. Please, try to help us out and to continue to keep Congregation Ner Tamid on track with our Jewishness. Also. I need to remind you that your dues and sanctuary obligations are due at least on a quarterly basis. We still have families will outstanding balances. Please bring this current. Our President mentioned several months ago that we would be increasing our dues this year. You will bs receiving now statsments and coupon books at the End of this month. This incrEasE amounts to an avErage of $4.00 per month. As our synagogue family grows, so does the demand on our facility and staff. This increase is necessary to continue to provide the programming that you indicated was important to you. While we have tried to keep the increase low. it still has been necessary to sustain what needs to be provided for the mem?bership. As in past years, if you have a birthday this upcoming year that moves you past 65 years, there is an allowance for a 10% decrease within your membership category out to the age of 70. For a more detailed explanation, please see the insert on the new dues structure. Also enclosed is an explanation of the Menorah Lev?els. Thanks for your patience this year. May the new year be a good one for all. may it let the sun shine on our families and be a wonderful year for our Jewish community. Monty DECEMbER 1999 November was an exciting month for our Preschool youngsters as we all voted in an election (even if it was what we would be eating for a snack). We learned about our Veterans and why we are so proud to live in America. But Thanksgiving was the holiday we most anticipated. We had a de?lightful Turkey Dinner with all of the trimmings. What delectable Tur?key, Pumpkin Pie, and Cranberry sauce. We are sure great cooks. The youngsters dressed in tradi?tional Pilgrim and Native American Garb. Our class sailed across on the Mayflower just as our ances?tors did so many years ago. We completed our collection of Pen?nies for Leukemia (boy so many Pennies!). And we started our new Miizvah Project (we will be adopt?ing severaf families and buying them gifts for the holidays). experience. Our students have learned a great deal both socially and scholastically in the last few months and we look forward to learning even more throughout the school year. December will bring our long anticipated Chanukah Program to the stage. We have practiced and rehearsed with Miss Jodi, to make our program a special gift for our Moms and Dads. This spectacular event will take place on Friday, December 10lh at 10am. Of course the preschoolers will be learning all about Chanukah. We will be making many traditional Chanukah crafts and singing all the favorite Chanukah Melodies as well as some new ones. This special time of the year is always a favorite and we fook forward to seeing this holiday through our children's eyes. It is a pleasure to see our stu?dents working, learning and play?ing together. The children nave developed friendships and watch?ing them work, play and interact with their teachers is a rewarding HAPPY CHANUKAH, FROM THE STAFF AND STUDENTS OF CNT PRESCHOOL, Lois ?Bergman AbovE: Boys ANd Gilds on a HAyRids BeIow: Giviisq out ShAbbAT ChAllAh AbovE: PUyiNq a Game BeIow: MAkiNq a Project wiTh FRiENds Conqreqa t'ion N er 7AM id 1999-2000 CNT Preschool Calendar =ss DECEMBER 1999 Monday, December 20 - December 31 No School Winter Break JANUARY 2000 Monday, January 3 SCHOOL RESUMES Monday, January 17 No School Martin Luther King Day FEBRUARY 2000 Monday, February 21 No School President's Day MARCH 2000 No School Holidays this month APRIL 2000 Monday, April 17-21 No School Spring Break Thursday, April 27 No School Passover (last day) MAY 2000 Monday, May 29 No School Memorial Day JUNE 2000 Friday, June 2 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL DECEMbER 1999 Hi! I am Sam Raimist. I go to the Hebrew Academy and I'm in the 7th grade. I belong to the Beta Club. I like to play hockey, hang around with my friends and practice sports. I was born on December 24, 1986 in Woodland ^tills, California. I moved to Thou- ^Bind Oaks, California at age two. K the age of nine, I moved to Las he egas and I'm enjoying my life l't wait until mu Bar ere. I can't my Mitzvah on December 4, 1999 to see all my family and friends from near and far. Please join us for this special event. Hi, mu name is Chance Tashman. I was born in New York and moved to Las Vegas when I was seven years old. I am an eighth grader attending Helen C. Cannon Middle School. The things that I like best are Pokemon, web surfing, base?ball, basketball, soccer, tennis and swimming. I will be Bar Mitzvah'd on December 11, 1999. I am very excited on this special occasion to see all my family, friends and rel?atives that I have never met. I want to thank all the people that took the time out of their busy schedules to help me and all the other Bar and Bat Mitzvah stu?dents. i We Are be5mrtm5 to sckebule B>?a1 MitzvAli for the CAlenbAr vjCAr 2001. If \\o\t Arc plAmim5 or expect to Viavc a BAr/BAt MUzvaJi for vjovir cb11t> In 2001 Ant> liAvc not rece1vet> a pAckct from the office bvj Becember 15, pleAse caII the KAbbfs secretArvj, 1<Arcn Levine At 733-6292. Hi! I am Avriel Margolis. I am proud to be a straight "A" student at Silvestri Junior High. Roller?blading, reading, writing and play?ing on the computer are my hobbies. Please join my family and me for my Bat Mitzvah on December 10, 1999. This is a very special event and I am look?ing forward to seeing you there. Yiddish Lesson for December Farm'isUt ' Befuddled FARshrAisr? - You UNdeRSTANd? FRAilech ' Happy GaI qeiuNreRhAirl - Go iN qood heAlrh Genuq iz qeNuq. - Emuqh is eisouqh! Gloib m'irI ' Believe Me! Got tsu dAnkeiv - ThANk G'd HeRT zich eisl - Lisreis heRel HerskeN zich - ShAke ANd dANce wirh joy Hob NiT kAiN deiqes - Don?t worry December 1999 cA S p ecia l r()liu e (Jo- (Belong ststerfiooe* xews Hats off to Marsha Goldberg and Donna Willey, our Mediterranean Dinner with Belly Dancing was a huge success. We had over 65 women attend our first program of the year. Every year our Cha?nukah Bazaar seems to get bigger and better. The Party Shop, as always, out did themselves. Nan?cy Layfer and Yvonne Weiss did a great job with our selection of old and new vendors. Also, our raffle this year was our biggest and best thanks to Susie Sernoe Plotkin and Ruth Urban, our Fun-d for youth Chairpersons. Our Membership team of Loretta Hollander and Helene Laefer have been hard at work, we have close to 50 new members so far this year. Our programs have just started and it's never too late to become a member. December is always a busy month for everyone, I know I'll be spend?ing a lot of time at the Temple Gift Wrap Booth. But don't for- et about sisterhood. Rabbi's ook review, on, "To Begin Again" will be On Dec 2nd at 7pm. Look in your January Bulletin for our upcoming events. On behalf of myself and Sister?hood, our thanks to all of you who have supported our efforts. It shows us tnat Ner Tamid is tru?ly a "Special Place To Belong." Have a happy Chanukah, and a healthy ana happy New Year, and don't forget our Gift Shop for all your Holiday needs. Shalom, Sandy Your IBrwtlierlioo?l Shalom. Our membership drive is coming to an end and although the checks have been coming in, the faces have not. As we have said so many times in the past, ?we are not the same brotherhood as our fa?thers.? We are here to promote our Judaism and to provide a wide range of activities for those who wish to be involved. We do not ask for a lot of time, just some time and some friendship. Some of the activities and mitzvah?s we perform are the following: we put up and take down the sukkah (providing a wonderful breakfast to the partic?ipants); we buy the beverages for the Chanukah and Purim carnivals. We remember Yom Hashoa (through our candle mailings); we give a gift to ail the Bar and Bat Mitzvah chil?dren, donating our time to make sure a representative is present for a Friday evening or Saturday morning service; we act as ushers for the High Holidays, making sure everyone can find a seat, whether they come early or late; we set up family events like UNLV Basketball and Football, picnics, barbecues; and we have been running a series of seminars on Men?s Health Issues so that our male members can be informed as to how they can take better care of themselves. This year, we are working very hard to bring back the Golf Tournament. Plans are already in the making. In our organization there is no I or me, only WE, and WE would like to see more of YOU! Your Board works very hard to provide events that bring happiness and joy. If we have not had something appealing for you, let us know what you want. We let you know what we want and we AilviMir | want you to come by and say he^r Tell us that you are out there. We have worked very hard to make the second half of 1999 a success. We now look forward to starting the New Millenium off at top speed. Be a part of the excitement. We want to wish all of you the very best for the New Century. Please be careful and wise during your up?coming celebrations. Also, Steve Joseph, please get better. We are all thinking about you and know how painful your injury has been. To you and Susan our prayers for your quick healing. La Shana Tovah, 9dV(e MUxinOj Administrative VP /AL8r. /9. CoNQREQATiON NeR TAMl'd December 1999 t ???< HAVUROT ???> The foil Hovuroh Dessert Potluck uuqs attended by about 20 peo?ple, and uie are happy to report that a neuu group was formed. This brings us to a total of 11 havurot including over 150 CNT members. For these existing ha?vurot, it is important that we have a current list of each group's members and uuho the contact person or facilitator is for your group. Please fax or send your list to me at the numbers listed below. fls all of you know, havurot are encouraged to participate, in CNT events and programs when pos?sible. Vour havurah may receive several requests during the year to support temple functions be?cause the havurah can easily be contacted as a group, rather than through individual phone calls. Vou are certainly free to respond as you would to an individual phone call; that is, if you can sup?port a function you will and if you can't it's O.K. For those who have not yet found a havurah, we have lists of peo?ple who are also interested in forming a havurah (a group of friends who meet on a regular ba?sis for social, intellectual, or Jew?ish pursuits). Notes on our lists indicate that there are several families who want involvement with their children; others whose children are grown but want to be in a group; and others who seem to fit well because of indi?cated age ranges and current in?terests. If you are looking for your niche and are willing to make some phone calls to get some like people together for a first meet?ing, please call for names and phone numbers. The Havurah coordinators do not form groups - individuals do! Sfiama ?BCumenfetxT Havurah Coordinator Phone: 254-9211 Fox: 243-7959 ?-mail: Shorna8@aol.com Special Thanhs to the following individuals for securing and donating raffle gifts, Sandy Stolberg Debra Halleman Audie linger Resign Green Eve Marco Chunman Raimisl Allen Nathanson Marine Molinshy iy Cornett Rem and Lisa Stoddard Natalie Shaw Debbie Levy Phyllis Lewis Jackie Fleekcp Ruth Urban Jennifer Curran Marine Molinshy Nan Specter Susie Plctkin Mary Zone Jan i ce Rounds Ethel Reigleman Sheila Kaufman Scot & Nancy Silber Nancy Lay ter Gloria Fenster Sandra AUerman Special Thanhs to the following Vendors, Applebees Euph oria Salem Art fro Rids Charjm Hair Design Steve Rass The Gold Factory Las Vegas Club Green Valley Drugs The Pasta Shop J.C. Penneus Salon Clive Garden Milner Market ing The Simiha Shop Showcase Mall Michelle at Club Hair Angel Touch Salon Ancient Creations Mediterranean Cafe' Mar im us Salon Details Salon Nails by Chris United Artists Theatre Gameworks Rerger and Sons CONCjREQANT of tIhE YEAR (CONTiNUEd) to her late husband, Norman, who passed away in 1987. In 1993, Phyl?lis was honored by receiving the ?Mickey Wilner? Great Lady Award. Phyllis has been very active in the Jewish community. She is a lifetime member of Hadassah and served on their board for ten years, serving as President for one year. She has vol?unteered at Sunrise Hospital for nineteen years where she operated the gift shop. She also served on their board for twelve years as and President two times. Where does she find the time? At last count, she had over 2,000 hours volunteer?ing at the hospital alone. She never says ?NO?. Besides all of her out?side volunteer work, Phyllis has found time to coordinate the Temple?s annual Passover Seder for the last seven years. She has coordinated with the Desert Inn and Rio Hotels for the special meal that has served as many as 400 people. She was instrumental in bringing the Seder back to the temple this past year. She is responsible for every baked brie, blitz souffles and pasta salad served at Onegs and Kiddushes. Come join us on January 7th for this special evening as we thank Phyllis for all she has done. A group photo will be taken with Phyllis ana all our 1999 new members. (9ur next book club meeting wilt be held at the Noemple, at 7pm on Jp:December 13. N9his is the 2nd ?Monday rather than the 1st, when we usually meet. (pohe book we have chosen is ??Patchwork ?Planet? bij?Plnn Poyler. ?Pjkor information, please call ?Natalie Shaw at 837-8370. DECEMbER1999 cd (Special r()la ec TTo- (Belong wBDflRO PROFILE 8TEWART BLUMENFELD, Vice-Preeidenf/Adminietration Stew and Sharna Blumenfeld moved to Las Vegas in stages, Sharna in 1994 and Stew?because of work commitments?in 1995. Stew received his bachelor's de?gree (in bacteriology) from the Uni?versity of Illinois, his Master's degree (in medical microbiology) from the University of Kansas, and his doctorate in public health from UCLA. He is originally from Chi?cago. Over the years, Stew has had three distinct careers. For four years, he was a research virologist, work?ing most notably on the Salk polio vaccine field trials in the 1950s. In 1961, he moved into the na?tional defense area, first at Dou?glas Aircraft Company and then at the RAND Corporation. While at RAND, he served for a time as a civilian science advisor to the US Military Advisory Command in Saigon, Vietnam (he refuses to call it Ho Chi Minh City), arriving in Saigon just in time to be caught up in the Tet Offensive of 1968. In 1973, Stew joined the faculty of the UCLA School of Public Health and he, Sharna, Debbie (12), and David (9) moved to Ghana to join a UCLA team collaborating with the Ghana Medical School on a health and family planning services project. During their four and a naif years in Ghana, they became as much a part of the sizable Is?raeli community as of the Ameri?can expatriate community. Most of the Israeli community, in fact, was celebrating break-tne-fast in the Blumenfeld?s garden when the Yom Kippur war broke out; the blare of short-wave radios (tuned to Kol Yisrael) replaced dinner con?versation that night. At the con?clusion of the project, the family returned to Los Angeles and cam?pus life. Two years later, the US Agency for International Develop?ment (the foreign development as?sistance arm of the State Department) asked UCLA to lend CONQREQA TION NeR TAMl'd them Stew, who was one of a just a handful of healthcare service sys?tems analysts practicing in tne world, for the task of designing and managing a project aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of US nutrition-assistance programs worldwide. And so, in 1979 the family moved to the Washington area. At the end of that four-year assignment, they decided to stay in Washington and Stew resigned his UCLA faculty position to join a private consulting company. Over the next 16 years, he nelped more than two dozen countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe improve the accessibility, effective?ness, and quality of their health?care systems. For a combination of family rea?sons and a desire to return to a warmer climate, Sharna and Stew decided to make the move to Las Vegas. They live in Peccole Ranch and