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? AHAVAT'S NU? A Monthly ^Publication of Ahavat Torah Synagogue Issue #15, February 2000/5760 (702) 242-2111; Fax: (702) 242-3979 P.O. Box 370373, Las Vegas, NV 89137 Craigaudrey@worldnet.att.net GOING, GOING, GONE. Calendar of Events From the Desk of: Rabbi Craig Rosenstein, J.D. The Rabbi bumped into one of his wealthiest congregants while walking in town. "Philip, I'm so glad to see you," said the Rabbi. "As you know I am so ever grateful for your very generous donation to our building fund. But I have to ask you why you never attend Shabbat services?" "Rabbi," Philip answered, "I look to the synagogue for my spiritual health, as 1 look to the local hospital for my physical health. I contribute to the synagogue so it will be well equipped in case of an emergency: and 1 contribute to the hospital for the same reason. But I hope I never have to go to either." In another town, the butcher came to the synagogue to ask the Rabbi a question about a cow the butcher intended to slaughter. The butcher knocked on the door and the Rabbi's assistant opened it. "What do you want," asked the assistant impatiently. "I must see the Rabbi," said the butcher. "You can't," the assistant said, "the Rabbi is studying right now." "Studying?" screamed the butcher, "Is this synagogue so poor it can't afford a Rabbi who has finished school? Can we only afford a mere student?" The two stories illustrate the biggest problems that synagogues face. On the one hand the story of the wealthy donor highlights the fact that so many will give to a synagogue out of a sense of guilt, or to build one's ego (to be a big macher!), or to insure the schul will be there when the Rabbi will be needed. The story of the butcher points out that many in the Jewish community simply view the synagogue as a place to answer immediate questions or address immediate problems. It is seen as the place to handle life-cycle needs. Need a bns?-call a Rabbi. Ask not what you can do for you synagogue, ask rather what your syna-gogue Can do for you! In either case, the synagogue is not fully appreciated for its true value?that of an island of sanity in an oth-erwise insane world. Thv synagogue exists to repair the world and then build it anew in the anticipation of God's coming kingdom. In the former story, the money is being donated so that the benefactor is satis-fied that the synagogue's value is to address personal concerns. In the latter, because the Rabbi is studying, the butcher sees the synagogue as a place to address (continued on page 2) FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT J a c k K a u f m a n IT'S GALA TIME AND YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Our second annual Gala, benefiting Child Haven as well as ATS, is now in the plan-ning stages and those working are putting in long and fruitful hours. We have more pro-jects and tasks than we have hands for. YOU can be a great assistance in working on some of these committees to help insure the finan-cial success of the gala. Please remember that the monies raised here will help us in our goal of a facility of our own. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please contact Rebbetzen or Elaine Kaufman and let them know you are February 4 6:00 pm Family Service 7:30 pm Newcomers Serv. February 11 7:30 pm Topical Issues Service February 18 7:30 pm Healing Service February 25 7:30 pm Torah Service See Calendar of Other Events Inside Shabbat Candle Lighting Times: February 4 5:08 pm February 11 5:15 pm February 18 5:21 pm February 25 5:28 pm I If you plan to ob-a s e rve Ha v d a l a h any _ _ of the following ? Saturday evenings, use the same candle lighting times and then add any where from 12 minutes to 72 min-utes afterwards to be sure of observing proper sun-down times. available and in what capacity you can assist. B'Shalom Jack Kaufman R a b b i ' s page one) (Continued from Specific problems rather than a place of continual spiritual growth and learning. All synagogues face this problem. Many are large enough and wealthy enough to mask the problem, and survive quite nicely. In-deed, they take on the character of their membership. (How many times have you heard schuls identified as, the society synagogue, or the wealthy temple.) Smaller synagogues are often ill-equipped to survive; the problems addressed here are systemic to its entire system, and make it toxic to those on the outside that want it to grow and prosper. They have neither the money to simply survive long enough to grow their way out of their problems (provided they use visionary leadership) nor do they have enough congregants to operate all of the controls to make the schul such a spiritual force that attracts new members like a bright light attracts insects on a dark night. This schul faces the same problem. We are on the edge of a preci-pice both physically, in looking for a place of our own, and spiritu-ally, fighting the pervasive feeling that we are really just a chavarah who comes together once per week to pray If all we do then is con-vene for one day, shabbas, then we view Shabbas as an event. Shabbas is not an event, it is a concept. So too are the other holi-days, concepts, exercises in the way we would live our lives. They are connected physically by the calendar, but so to are they con-nected spiritually by the notion that they transcend time. The issues each holiday presents are timeless. Witness the idea that we are commanded each and every day to remember Creation and the Exo-dus from Egypt. We have holidays to celebrate these seminal events, but we have ntual to celebrate daily what these events should mean to our lives today, tomorrow and far into the future, and more im-portantly, our children's grandchildren and great, grandchildren's future. We must begin to take the position that when we come together, it is both to achieve some peace for ourselves as individuals, and as kehillah (community). We must treat worship as the act of freeing ourselves, "from the pressure of life. There are no immediate tasks to be performed; no insistent needs clamoring for immediate satis-faction. For once, we are guaranteed TIME and quietude, the rates possessions in life today. For once, we can escape from the tyranny of the next minute with its worries, tasks, and duties." Where do you see Ahavat Torah? In Parashat Vayakhel (Ex. 35:1?38:20) a very interesting event happens. Moses relates God's Religious School News TU B'SHEVAT Ahavat Torah' Religious School Sunday family Affair for January was a Tu B'She vat Seder at Red Rock State Park. Tu B'Shevat is the holiday celebrating the beginning of the end of rains and winter in Israel, the coming of Spring, and the plant-ing of trees. Over 20 children and adults accompanied Rabbi Craig and Audrey to the Children's Trail and Picnic area where they drank the traditional four cups of wine (this time grape juice), and ate the three types of fruits associated with the three sym-bols of God's creation: grapes that can be eaten whole, to symbolize the sweetness and completeness of Torah and God's world; olives that have a pit to protect the inner core of the fruit to symbolize the inner perfection of the world; and, peanuts that have a shell to protect the entire fruit, symbolizing the world as it is that needs protection all the time. The group sang Psalms, ate a picnic lunch, hiked and climbed the stunning rock formations, and perhaps learned a little bit about the importance of planting and saving trees, and protecting the environment. Instructions to the Israelites concurring the building or our first tab-ernacle, the Mishkahn. Moses calls to the people to bring gifts to be used in its construction. The people respond overwhelmingly?so much so that Moses has to proclaim the appeal over, as enough was donated. The only restriction on the giving was that donations must be in the form of materials, not money. So that all would have an equal share in the design, construction, maintenance and use of the budding. The amount donated was to be according to what each could give?gifts of the heart?so that no one person could give so large an amount so as to, make himself think only he had a claim on the structure (the proverbial putting one's name on the building), and 2 ) scare those who gave just a small amount from participating because they felt there was no place for them. In fact, the very pur-pose behind the restriction was to pull the disparate Israelites into a community. (Vayakhal literally means to "convoke," or "assemble," "to build from parts the whole.") In Parashat Tetzaveh (Ex. 2720?30:10), God appoints Aaron and his family as the Kohanim, the High Priests, and Bezalel and Oholiab as the architect and general contractor of the building of the Mishkahn. Both are positions that one would assume would have gone to Moses. There are numerous explanations for this. One might be that God sensed that to give Moses the very visible task of leading the nation in both secular and now spiritual matters; no one would be encouraged to step forward to offer themselves to help the cause of the Israelites. Moses would be viewed as the be-all and Continued on page 3 Rabbi's Message (continued from pg 2) The end-all of Judaism. There would be no Joshua's, no Calehs, no Pinchas' to step forward in crises. If Moses had control of every-thing, no one would feel that he or she would have a share in the destiny of Israel, not to mention the physical benefits of Eretz Yis-roel that God had promised them so many years before. Everyone would sit back and wait for Moses to act, as they did with the Egyptian army bearing down on them at the Red Sea. It was by the way only due to the action of the legless man who jumped into the Red Sea that the sea parted. This schul belongs to our entire kehilla, our community. And this Rabbi is not its be-all and end-all on matters of spirit. Your Board of Directors is not the be-all and end-all on matters of ad-ministration. All Calebs, Joshua's and Pinchas' are encouraged to apply to help us in many areas. And apply you can at the annual Congregational Meeting on Feb-ruary 8, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Bobby and Alicia Goff-stein. This meeting is critical to our future. We will not only elect a new slate of directors and officers, and attend to other housekeep-ing duties, but we will discuss some issues relating directly to our functioning as a force in the lives of our congregation. We will ask for your heart and soul in your support of our endeavors; and we will ask you to pay for the continued life of Ahavat Torah in blood, sweat, tears and even money. We will ask for nothing less. The issue, as I hope you have perceived from this missive, is not how much you will give in gift and in self, but that YOU WILL GIVE a gift in both gift and self, and that it will be a gift of the heart, as the Israelites gave, in terms of being generous in kind, and that it will be honest in terms of what you can give. Do you expect to treat this synagogue as the wealthy donor in the opening story; who gives to make the schul viable, but never to really use it; or do you expect to treat the schul like the butcher, who wants the synagogue to be there for immediate needs, but wants nothing to do with it on a daily basis. Or will you treat the schul as a place that must exist, for you, and for the countless peo-ple who need it; people you may never meet. It is our duty to build Bayt Els (Houses of God), no matter how many we may have built in the past, and no matter whether we use it once per week, once per month, once per year, or every day. We build schools well past the time we attend school; we build hospitals even if we never get sick enough to need them; we build jails, even though most of us will never have a need to spend time in one. We do so because they are of benefits in some way to all our society. Why do we not have the same feeling for our houses of worship, which incidentally are also houses of charity for those in need, houses of moral and ethical education for the next generation of our civilization (our children), and houses of healing for wounds in-flicted on individuals and society at large And what, you are probably asking do you get in return? A beau-tiful life in this world, and as the Talmud teaches, a "share in the world to come." BAR MITZVAH OF SAM SCHELLER Sam, the son of Sandy and Mark Scheller, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on January 15. It was another first for Ahavat Torah?the first Bar Mitz-vah held in a home. The Schellers graciously opened up their beautiful home to 85 family members and friends for the ceremony, marking Sam's entrance into Kehillah Yisroel. Sandy had expertly turned her ar-moire into an Aaron Kodesh (Ark) complete with parochet (Torah curtain). Her beautiful rosewood dining room table served as the Torah table, and her living room, gutted of furniture, served as the main sanctuary. Sam, acting as Shliach Tzibore (Leader of Prayer) and accompanied by Rabbi Rosenstein and Gabbai Ray Ber-man, expertly lead the congregation through the Morning Blessings, Pesukei D'zimrah (Songs of Praise), the Blessings of the Shema and the Torah Service. He beautifully chanted both his Torah portion, from parashat Bo, and his Haftarah from the Book of Jeremiah. His D'var Torah taught us about how our Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and our hearts too are hardened, by re-peated evil. He did a spectacular job. After the ceremony, the Schellers hosted their guests to a wonderful lunch at the Macaroni Grill. It was a beautiful day weather-wise, and a beautiful day for the Scheller's and for Ahavat Torah as it welcomed another member to its growing minyon. Maze! Tov to Mark, Sandy, Sam and Max Scheller! INSPIRATIONAL PRAyER Two thlvtgs to thUOe about to- ST1 day. First Ls this: What I do Ls Mt goLitg to chavugc the world wlucM. Stcomxi: It's im-portant to feeep on dou^g what i do' Rabbi chalm. s t e rw B'Shalom, Rabbi Craig AHA VAT'S NU7 Pag* 3 GET WELL AND SYMPATHY CARDS available from Ray Ber-man? Call him at 233-0474. FEBRUARY YAHRZEITS Feb. 1 Mannel GofTstein Father of Leon Gofbtein Feb. 1 Louis Steinbaum Father of Bess GofTstein) Feb. 2 Arnie Fudacebsky Brother-in-law of Shirley Cuddish Feb. 7 Esther Eskenazi Mother of Zadick Eskenazi) Feb. 10 Samson Margolis Father of Donald Margolis) Feb. 16 Gary Kaufman Brother of Jack Kaufman Feb. 16 Milton Grutl Brother-in-law to Shirley Cuddish Feb. 18 Herman Everakes Father of Marshal Everakes Feb. 22 Julia Rosen bloom Mother of Elaine Kaufman Feb. 23 Nancy McKinney Sister of Jeanine Rappaport Feb. 23 Dr. Frank Klapman Father of Merle Roth DONATIONS IN HONOR OF COOKIE BRUSKI'S 80TH BIRTHDAY Joseph and Susan Berland Ray Berman Jack and Elaine Kaufman Rose Sugseman THIS THAT Best wishes to Maris & Marshall Evorakes on moving into their new house Congratulations to Sam Scheller on his Bar Mitzvah...Condolences to Jerry Raf?|>aport on the death of his father, William Rapport.... The Berfnan/Gillette family on celebrations of birthdays of Ray's great grandson Mykalll - grandson Trevor and son-in-law Jamie?Congratulations to Cooke Bruskie on her- ? 0 t h birthday (Feb. 6) and to Ray Ber-man, celebrating his 7?th on Feb. 12).... HAPPY B-IR-TT+IiAY 'Am Feb. 2 Mark Scheller Feb. 4 Solomon Roth Feb. 6 Cookie Bruski Feb. 6 Jeanine Rappaport Feb. 7 Shelly Stalk Feb. 12 Ray Berman Feb. 15 Alicia GofTstein Feb. 15 Marlon Howard Feb. 21 Andrew Rosenzweig Feb. 24 Jack Kaufman . ANNIVER3AR-Y 6TIN CtS> Maris and Marshal Everakes?34th February 19 Jeanine and Jerry Rappaport?32 nd WONDERFUL SOUNDS Our deepest thanks to KIM WILKS who single handedly prepared the newest song books that we now use. They were sorely needed, much appreci-ated and add another nice dimension to our services. TODAH RABBAH Prayer ot Healing: "Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha Olam, Ha-gomale I'cha-veem tovot sheg-moh-lani kol tov..Blessed are You our God King of the Universe who bestows good beyond our deserving, and has dealt graciously with me. GET WELL WISHES TO: Ray Berman Barbara Kenig Marty Myers Tomi Petz Herb Roth Fran and Murray Schofel Ned Twining, (father of Nancy Weinberger) GALA UPDATE Our Gala planning continues in full swing. We are set for May 7, 2000 at the beautiful Venetian Hotel. The committee has begun the arduous task of contacting over 600 potential sponsors and donors of both the evening and our very successful ? Auction and Raffle. If you would like to help with the planning, or can assist in getting interesting and one-of-a-kind gifts donated, please contact Audrey Rosen-stein, Lisa Lloyd or Elaine Kaufman through the Synagogue office 5 0 M H T M I N G N L W at f riday night-services, b e g i n n i n g t h e f i r s t F r i d a y o f every month, t h e r e will b e a special f a m i l y f \ | i g h t ser-vice b e g i n n i n g a t 6-.00? 6:JO pm, w h i c h will have s t o r i e s , songs, prayers, a n d lessons f o r chil-d r e n a n d t h e i r parents. _ , , . _ . 1 Rabbi Craig and young con-gregant 4 DINNER AND BINGO?SISTERHOOD STYLE Rebbetzin and a group of 15 other merry makers were wel-comed to Garduno's Restaurant in the Fiesta Hotel. We were seated at four tables near the front t of the restaurant and received assistance with our selections by a very conge-nial waiter. Resident pilots, Kim and Evelyn, even met a fellow pilot who sat and chatted with them for a while. Wonderful food was munched and shared by all. Then it was off to Bingo!!! The Bingo Parlor was not quite ready for a group of 16 people; some of whom had never played Bingo before, but the attendants were very suppor-tive. With detailed instructions and on-going help from Lisa P. everyone was soon into the swing of things. Lee and I cheated a little by playing with "Buddy" the electronic machine that does everything for you except yell BINGO!!!! The only cash winner of the evening was Elaine but every-one thoroughly enjoyed themselves and vowed to do it again next month. Come, join us, and try "Buddy", we guarantee food, fun and laughs. \ Lisa Lloyd Vice President ttltalfei m U H J P T SISTERHOOD MEETING AND ELECTIONS THURSDAY?FEBRUARY 18 7:30 PM at the FLETCHERS RSVP: 242-1306 NO LATER THAN FEB. 13 ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING AND ELECTIONS DATE: TUESDAY- FEBRUARY 8, 2000 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: GOFFSTEIN's QUEENSRIDGE 9708 WINTER PALACE DRIVE 2 5 6 - 7 3 0 0 You can sensor an Oneg for only $50.00 , and the Synagogue will do the rest and you will be helping our Synagogue. Please call me and I will be happy to reserve a Friday night for your important Oneg Shabbat. Thank You Cookie Brueki, Oneg Chairperson 255-94-75 COME TO SERVICES AND CELEBRATE LIPE ( J ^ ) STAFFING RESOURCES FIRST CITY INSURANCE & FINANCIAL SERVICES LYNNE FLETCHER Leon Goldstein 1555 E. Flamingo Rd., Ste. 153 Lis Vegas, NV 89119 Phone ( 7 0 2 ) 6 5 0 - 6 5 1 5 Fax ( 7 0 2 ) 6 5 0 - 6 5 1 6 KIM W1LKS Tax Specialist/Financial Advisor Specializing in Home Appointments O l 3 N. Rancho Lai Vt-gas. NV 89130 Securities nffered through Moyal Alliance Associates, inc. M*mt*r NASD arm SiPC Office 656-9 74/ Fax (702) 655 9553 Pager (800) 476-7878 <702) 243-2965 DUN. & Tax 3105 Firen/e Court, U s Vegas. Nevada 89128 RAINBOW TAX SERVICE Lew Stadtmauer MBA 6480 Spring Motrfar #6, Las Vega; 89146 6129 Qance Ave Las Vegas 89107 873-1040 878-1040 Fax 878-5949 AHAVArS NU7 PREFERRED SUPPLIERS JD'S DESIGNS AND LE BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE ARE THE FIRST LOCAL MERCHANTS TO BECOME PREFERRED SUPPLIERS FOR THE MEMBERS OF OUR SYNAGOGUE AND GUESTS AT HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES. THESE TWO, TOP OF THE LINE, COMPANIES WILL DONATE TO AHAVAT TORAH 10% OF ANY PURCHASE YOU MAKE AT THEIR STORES PLEASE SEE THE COUPON BELOW AND PRESENT THE COUPON WHEN YOU PURCHASE SOMETHING AT EITHER ONE OF THESE PREFERRED SUPPLIERS. JD'S DESIGNS IS AN INTERIOR DESIGN CENTER FOR ALL YOUR DECORATING NEEDS EVERYTHING FROM FLOOR TO CEILING AND ANYTHING IN BETWEEN IS AVAILABLE, ALONG WITH GIFT ITEMS AND UNUSUAL ART, SCULPTURE AND INDOOR WATER FOUNTAINS SEVERAL OF OUR CONGRGANTS ARE ALREADY CUSTOMERS OF JD'S DESIGNS. J.D. MCREE IS AN HONORARY MEMBER OF AHAVAT TORAH AND PERSONALLY DESIGNED AND BUILT THE LECTERN RABBI CRAIG USES. LE BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE OFFERS UNIQUE AND CLASSIC LINGERIE, INTIMATE APPAREL AND CLOTHING. YOU WILL NOT FIND ANYTHING LIKE LE BOUDOIR'S MERCHANDISE IN ANY OTHER STORE IN LAS VEGAS. SEVERAL CONGREGANTS HAVE ALREADY FOUND EXQUISITE ITEMS AT THIS VERY EXCLUSIVE BOUTIQUE. Jon D. McRee Interior Designer JD'S DESIGNS 1827 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 382-9300 Fax (702) 382-2946 Cel. (702) 683-1599 email - jds@anv.net 2600 W.Sahara Blvd. # 1 0 4 las Vegas. Nevada 89102. USA JD'S DESIGNS 1827 WESTERN AVENUE LAS VEGAS, NV 89102 702-383-9300 LE BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE 2600 W. SAHARA - SUITE 104 LAS VEGAS, NV 89102 702-395-6363 PLEASE PRESENT THIS COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. 10% OF THE PRICE OF YOUR PURCHASE WILL BE DONATED TO AHAVAT TORAH SYNAGOGUE (EXCLUDING TAX) PLEASE PRESENT THIS COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. 10% OF THE PRICE OF YOUR PURCHASE WILL BE DONATED TO AHAVAT TORAH SYNAGOGUE (EXCLUDING TAX) NAME: NAME: TOTAL PURCHASE: TOTAL PURCHASE: 10% DONATION: 10% DONATION: February 2000 AHAVAT TORAH SYNAGOGUE Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday COOKIE BRUSKI BDAY JEANINE RAPPAPORT BDAY 13 MICHELLE STALK. BDAY MARK SCHELLER BDAY 8 ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEE'LL.V; & ELECTIONS 7:00 PM ? GOFFSTEIN*S RSVP 256-7300 NO LATER THAN 1/30 EVERAKES ANNIVERSARY 10 14 20 21 ANDREW ROSENZWEIG BDAY 15 ALICIA GOFFSTEIN BDAY MARI.ON HOWARD BDAY 22 7 : 0 0 PM G A L A MEETING @ ROSENSTEIN'S 16 MARKETING MEETING - 7 : 3 0 PM @ LLOYD-J A C O B S 17 23 27 28 29 SISTERHOOD MEETING & ELECTIONS - 7 : 3 0 PM ia), FLETCHER'S RSVP 2 4 2 - 1 3 0 6 NO LATER THAN FEB. I3TH 6:00 PM FAMILY SERVICE 7:30 PM NEW COMERS SERVICE ON EG SPONSORED BY C OOKIE BRl SKI IN HONOR OF HER BDAY SOIOMON ROTH BDAY 11 12 7:30 PVI TOFFCAL ISSUES SERVICE ONEG SPONSORED BY BERMAN/ GILLETTE FAMILY IN HONOR OF RAY, MYKAL, TREVOR & JAMIE'S BDAYS RAY BERMAN BDAY 18 7:30 PM HEALING SERVICE ONEG SPONSORED BY ROSENZWEIG'S IN HONOR OF ANDREW'S BDAY 19 24 JACK KAUFMAN BDAY 25 7:30 PM TORAH SERVICE ONEG SPONSORED BY RAPPAPORTS IN HONOR OF THEIR ANNIVERSARY 5:15 PM POT LUCK SUPPER & HAVDALAH a ROSENSTEIN'S RSVP BY 2/13 242-2111 ANNIVERSARY RAPPAPORT GALA MAILING DAY (S> ROSENSTEIN'S 26 CHILD HAVEN s M January T W T F s 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 March s M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2/11/00 Ahavat Torah Synagogue P.O. Box 370373 Las Vegas, NV 89137 Phone: (702)242-2111 Fax:(702)242-3979 Email: Craigaudrey^woridneLatt net Ahavat Torah Synagogue Friday Evening Shabbat Services are Held at: 7:30 pm Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive For information, please call the synagogue office at 242-2111 Ahavat's Nu? Editor Lenore Kerner President Jack Kaufman Vice President Lisa Lloyd Secretary Lew Stadtmauer Treasurer Elaine Kaufman Sisterhood President Nancy Weinberger Brotherhood President Leon Goldstein Director Mort Berg Director Maris Everakes Director Alan Jacobs Director Cheryl Rosenzweig Director Kim Wilks