Kol Badmidbar, newsletter from Midbar Kodesh Temple, February 2001

THE VOICE OF MIDBAR KODESH TEMPLE VOL. VII ISSUE 2 SHEVAT/ADAR 5761 F e b r u a r y 2001 page 4 Midbar Kodesh Temple hit the 250 member mark, registering us as a "B" category congregation with the Rabbinical Assembly. To celebrate this milestone, Midbar Kodesh Temple will host a "B" party. f a b u l o u s F e b r u a r y NOTHING TO A Kosher Wine and Cheese Tasting at page 11 Tor^ih D e M c a t i o n G a i l A l c a l a y t o d e d i c a t e T o r a h in memory of her G r a n d p a r e n t s , I r e n e and A l b e r t Rugeti. S a t u rday F e b r u a r y 1 0 t h Come Worship w S t h M i t >Tbe^ mr pKl oe b e s M S k a b b M F f l b M j Evcwt ?5<s M 7 r w j i m S u t M T f r M j M o w l w y At Qioo sm% S u f f ^ t i M w n h i 5 M f m j M i ^ r tO * m M o m * 115 M l m f A f i M o r f l > A i j P fir T l m r * d A t | C A t isDO A m page 10 F r o m t h e P r c s i b c u t 2 F r o m t h e R ^ b b i 3 E b w c A t i o t i / V S Y 4-? D ' v i a i MHZVAVI E v c v i t s &? P h o t o s 6 S v f v t A 5 0 5 w c " N e w s A b v c r t i s e m c M t s 12-13 B i r t V i b s A t i v t i v c r s A r i cs & Y ^ V i r z c i t s 14 Tributes If C A t i b l c L i g h t i n g T i m e s 16 Q ^ \ *s\ j y j <? FEBRUARY 2001 E> , _ F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T 6e r v i n g as P r e s i d e n t of Midbar Kodesh Temple t h i s past year has been an e x c i t i n g and very busy experience. We are pleased with the p r o g r e s s of our agenda and with the board and c o m m i t t e e s we have i m p l e m e n t e d many a d m i n i s t r a t i v e policies that, h o p e f u l l y , will help the s y n a g o g u e run more s m o o t h l y as we continue to grow. We do have one area of concern and cannot j u d g e its success, or know exactly how to meet the needs. Our concern is how we s u c c e s s f u l l y i n t e g r a t e the new members into the c o n g r e g a t i o n . It seems t h a t t h e r e is a d e f i n i t e p a t t e r n of growth with new members t r i c k l i n g in over the year and a t r e m e n d o u s surge f r om July t h r o u g h September. When a member j o i n s the synagogue we make a c o n c e r t e d e f f o r t to have s e v e r a l c h a i r p e o p l e contact and welcome the new f a m i l y . We have a " b u d d y " system where e s t a b l i s h e d members " i n v i t e " new members to a s e r v i c e and a r r a n g e to meet t h em there. Marcy or Gail Alcalay often call a new member to answer any q u e s t i o n s about Midbar Kodesh, H e n d e r s o n , or the greater Las Vegas area. In the past y e a r s , we have p r e s e n t e d new members with small gifts of a p p r e c i a t i o n . For most of t h e year we feel successful in reaching our goal. For part of t h e year we know that we fall short of that goal. T h i s year over 70 f a m i l i e s j o i n e d Midbar d u r i n g the " h i g h season". And since high holidays we have been on the phones. We have o f f e r e d 3 p r o g r a m s s p e c i f i c a l l y designed to encourage new member p a r t i c i p a t i o n . We have made a decent e f f o r t but have not been able to reach e v e r y o n e . The same t h i n g happened last year, and the year b e f o r e . We notice that it takes about 18 months until we can f u l l y i n t e g r a t e our new members i n t o t e m p l e life, until we can i d e n t i f y new faces at s e r v i c e s , adult ed or t e m p l e events, and u n t i l we see new members s i t t i n g on committees and p a r t i c i p a t i n g in the s y n a g o g u e . Those with c h i l d r e n e n r o l l e d in school are in the b u i l d i n g 2 and 3 t i m e s a week. They start to make " p a r k i n g l o t " f r i e n d s and begin to feel part of Midbar quicker t h a n o t h e r s , but we are s t i l l not sure how soon a new member feels connected. The o n l y feedback we get on t h i s p a r t i c u l a r s u b j e c t is when it is too late. I f someone feels i g n o r e d , or not " p a r t of the f a m i l y " we are d e f i n i t e l y f a l l i n g short of our goal. Here's what we need to see happen. Please do not take o f f e n s e if we miss you. New members who want to be i n c l u d e d need to t h r ow themselves into t e m p l e life. I f you have new ideas, b r i n g t h em to the o f f i c e , to the c l e r g y , to the b o a r d or to me d i r e c t l y . Please do not wait to be i n v i t e d . We have lots of work to do and each member and each idea is v a l u e d , but we are r u n n i n g out of continued on page 7 DIN TVJV) n 1) PUBLISHED MONTHLY Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn Cantor Robert D. Fisher Office Administrator Jacqui Stiegiitz School Administrator Mira Slobody USY Director Rina Roselinsky President Gerald Welt Editor Stephen Greer K S J T E M P L E GREEN VALLEY RANCH 1 9 4 0 > A S ? 0 V ? R t > ? PARKWAY H?ND?RS0N. KV ?90i2 phone 454-4848 f a x 454-4847 e - m a i l ? m i d b a r k o d e s h @ j u n o . c o m web ? % \ ^ ^ H w w w . m i d b a r k o d e s h . o r g c v J 'J Mi J J J f FEBRUARY 2001 ID "May their memories be a blessing" FROM THE RABBI A Over the course of the past month, we have lost two precious friends of Midbar Kodesh--Bob Goldstein and Leon Horowitz. In their memory, I would like to share excerpts from their respective eulogies: We live in a world of uncertainty. We never know what life might bring our way from one moment to the next. We cancel and reschedule appointments as our lives get too busy or our priorities shift. Yet every Saturday morning for the past six months, at 9:00 am sharp, I knew exactly what was going to happen next. Bob G o l d s t e i n would make his way to the bima at Midbar Kodesh Temple, turn to page ten and begin the Introductory Service for Shabbat, known as Pesukei D'zimra. And this is exactly how Bob spent his Shabbat mornings each week for five years before I even arrived at Midbar. Leading the Introductory Service, Pesukei D'zimra, is not what one would call a glorious opportunity. At 9:00 in the morning, the sanctuary is not exactly full to capacity, in fact we are often fortunate to have a minyan at that time, a prayer quorum of ten adults above the age of thirteen. But that did not matter to Bob. In fact, the j o y and spirit in which he led the service each week was nothing less than i n s p i r a t i o n a l . In most traditional synagogues, Pesukei D'zimra, is daverted as q u i c k l y as possible with little or no singing at all. A Bob Goldstein Pesukei D'zimra is an educational melodic medley that reminds us of the v a r i e t y of psalms and prayers that are common throughout our liturgy. There is one particular psalm that Bob sang every Shabbat, *Mi Ha'ish," which he always read first in English. I believe this psalm accurately describes the way in which Robert Goldstein insisted on living his life. "Which of you desires life, loves long years in which to see goodness? Keep your tongue from telling evil, your lips from speaking lies. Shun evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it". . .Perhaps the most powerful words of this psalm are found in the line which precedes the song. Without a careful reading of the text, the words would easily pass one by. We can be sure that Bob knew exactly what it says: "Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere the Lord." This is precisely what Bob has done. . .let us continue to sing the melodies. The story of Leon "Grumps" H o r o w i t z life is a true love story. The compassion and love he shared with his [ f a m i l y and extended f a m i l y ] was so powerful that it will continue to impact so many lives for years and years to come. . . continued on page 7 mmmmmrn' t R-wvotS^yy0" ubSO* I tyrayfor r , [Peace \ The [Horowitz, ell, doctors and uMoilanen Jamity Send a [Heartfelt Thank ^0u To The Entire Congregation Jor ^our [Kindness During This JUost Difficult v Timc- J M i d b a r Kodesh Temple its' staff and board of d i r e c t o r s wants to a c k n o w l e d g e the c e l e b r a t i o n s of life and joy w i t h our congregants, as well as the illnesses and sadness that c o m p l e t e life's circle. P l e a s e call, or have someone call for you, immediately, so that we may serve your needs. At the Synagogue office J a c q u i S t i e g l i t z , A d m i n i s t r a t o r or R a b b i W i e d e r h o r n 454-4848 If t h e r e is an emorgency a f t e r business hours p l e a s e contact R a b b i J e r e m y W i e d e r h o r n 361-9966 C a n t o r Bob Fisher R D F N B A @ a o l . c o m 361-8087 FEBRUARY 2001 D A8 IS yoyuo u t uI Er4nC. H , - Itwiili Proverb o C / 3 CO O CD LJJ( DC PLANTING AND NURTURING A TREE OF KNOWLEDGE IN OUR STUDENTS This month we celebrate Tu B ' S h e v a t , the new year and birthday of the trees. A tree of course is physical, but contains more than just roots. Our Jewish roots need to be nurtured. In order for our students to learn our Jewish history, we must as a family, along with our teachers, also plant and build on what we have learned. This is done so that our heritage continues on and future generations will learn. The love of learning, especially in Hebrew school needs to be acquired. A Hasidic Rabbi once advised a father that he could force his son to study Torah and Judaism or he could devote some of his own time to the study of Torah and Judaism, along with his son. This message is quite simple to understand: Learn by your child's side. In this way, you can influence and model the behavior that you want to instill in your son or daughter. Every month a different grade will be leading Shabbat Services. The 4th grade will lead us on February 9th. Please plan on joining us as a family for these special evenings. B'Shalom, Mira u S Y N E W S . r t o r . Bina_BoseUnsky : (,1-iese next few months can be dubbed the "Season of Kinnusim for USY". Nine USYers headed off to Phoenix t h i s past month and had an amazing time. Not only did they make new friends and visit with old ones, they also had time to learn. We had two speakers during the weekend, one concerning Jews for Jesus and the other discussing prejudice as well as honoring Martin Luther King. As always, there was always some free time t o play. The USYers were thoroughly impressed with the weekend. February 9th through the 11th, we have five USYers traveling t o Calabasas for the Aliyah Kinnus. March 23rd through 25th is the next Kinnus for USY a t Temple Ramat Zion in California. Applications are now available. Applications are also available for the Kadima Kinnus. USYours, Rina Midbar Ko"3esh Temple hit the 250 member mark, registering us as a "B" category congregation with the Rabbinical Assembly. To celebrate this milestone. Midbar Kodesh Temple will host a "B" party immediately f o l l o w i n g the February 4th congregational meeting. Meital Wiedernorn has been selected as tne o f f i c i a l mascot and will wear a B u z z y Bee costume. She invites other Midbar children to do the same. BBQ luncheon will be available, * ? keeping in the "B" theme, with burgers, buns, beverages and brownies, ^ r ^ Mark your calendars to buzz on by at Midbar's "B" party! It will be a Dr. Seuss kind of day! M i -j mm j y - j f FEBRUARY 2001 0 A d u l t Education at Midbar Our e x c i t i n g l i n e - u p of c o u r s e s c o n t i n u e s . D o n ' t miss o u t . . . c o m e and p a r t i c i p a t e ! ! All W e d n e s d a y c o u r s e s w i l l c h a n g e t o M o n d a y s in t h e m i d d l e of M a r c h ! KOSHER 101 WINE AND CHEESE TASTING T h e f o u r part s e r i e s c o n c l u d e s w i t h an e l e g a n t w i n e and c h e e s e t a s t i n g . Saturday night F e b r u a r y 3rd at 8pm $ 3 6 d o n a t i on per person HEBREW LANGUAGE B a c k by p o p u l a r d e m a n d , H e b r e w l a n g u a g e c o n t i n u e s at M i d b a r l Taught by our v e r y own Toby R o s e n b u s h , s t u d e n t s w i l l e n h a n c e t h e i r r e a d i n g , w r i t i n g , and c o n v e r s a t i o n a l s k i l l s , w h i l e l e a r n i n g more a b o u t the p r a y e r s in our s i d d u r . BEGINNING HEBREW Wednesday evenings 6 : 3 0 pm - 7:15pm $18 for members $36 for non-members TORAH STUDY We w i l l look at t h e w e e k l y T o r a h p o r t i o n ( P a r a s h a t H a s h a v u a h ) t h r o u g h a n c i e n t a n d m o d e r n eyes and d i s c u s s t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e and m e a n i n g f o r our l i v e s and t h e w o r l d in w h i c h we l i v e . Wednesday evenings 7 : 1 5 pm - 8:15pm $18 for members $36 for non-members FAMILY HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS We w i l l be h o l d i n g a s e r i e s of h o l i d a y w o r k s h o p s i m m e d i a t e l y p r e c e d i n g the J e w i s h h o l i d a y s to h e l p f a m i l i e s f i n d more c r e a t i v e , k i d - f r i e n d l y ways of b r i n g i n g J u d a i s m i n t o t h e i r h o m e s . Feel f r e e to a t t e n d a n y or all of t h e s e e x c i t i n g w o r k s h o p s . No c h a r g e i f PURIM WORKSHOP Purim is e a s i l y one of t h e most c h i l d f r i e n d l y h o l i d a y s of t h e J e w i s h y e a r , b u t how do we make it m o r e t h a n j u s t the " J e w i s h H a l l o w e e n " f o r our c h i l d r e n & G r a n d c h i l d r e n ? J o i n R i k i W i e d e r h o r n f o r t h e c o n t i n u a t i o n of our f a m i l y h o l i d a y w o r k s h o p s e r i e s as we d i s c u s s t h e " t r u e " s t o r y of Purim, and i t s r e l e v a n c e t o our f a m i l i e s ' l i v e s . All a r e e n c o u r a g e d to a t t e n d ! ! ! Sunday, February 25th 10:30 am - 11:30 am \ \ in t h e S m a l l C h a p e l . JJ PASSOVER WORKSHOP March 25th 10:30am SHAVUOT WORKSHOP May 2 0 t h 1 0 : 3 0 am I N T R O D U C T I O N TO J U D A I SM An i n t e n s e , y e a r - l o n g c o u r s e f o r b o t h n o n - J e w s who are i n t e r e s t e d in l e a r n i n g more a b o u t J u d a i s m and J e w s who a r e l o o k i n g f o r a s t r o n g e r f o u n d a t i o n . Each s e s s i o n w i l l b e g i n w i t h Beginning Hebrew f o l l o w e d by t h e J u d a i c c o m p o n e n t . We STRONGLY e n c o u r a g e c o u p l e s to a t t e n d t o g e t h e r . Wednesday evenings 6 : 3 0 pm - 8:15pm Members (single) $100 Members (couple) $125 Non-member (single) $200 Non-member(couple) $250 (cost does not include required books) ADULT B'NAI MITZVAH COURSE N e v e r had a B a t / B a r M i t z v a h but a l w a y s w a n t e d one? Now is your o p p o r t u n i t y ! We a r e o f f e r i n g a y e a r and a half l o n g p r o g r a m t h a t w i l l b e g i n w i t h t h e I n t r o d u c t i o n to J u d a i s m c o u r s e a b o v e . The c o u r s e w i l l c u l m i n a t e w i t h t h e l e a r n i n g of a H a f t o r a h in p r e p a r a t i o n f o r a S p r i n g 2 0 0 2 B ' n a i M i t z v a h . Wednesday evenings 6 : 3 0 pm - 8:15pm Members $118 Non-members $236 THURSDAYS FOR THOUGHT Come s t u d y w i t h t h e r a b b i and f r i e n d s over l u n c h . We w i l l c h o o s e d i f f e r e n t t o p i c s t o d i s c u s s e a c h m o n t h . We w i l l m e e t t h e s e c o n d T h u r s d a y of e a c h m o n t h . Feel f r e e to b r i n g to b r i n g a d a i r y b r o w n bag l u n c h . Second Thursday of each month 12 noon - 1:00pm Members $1 8 Non-members $36 NEXT THURSDAYS FOR THOUGHT February 8th Q Z- -J J Y J F FEBRUARY 2001 B a r M i t z v a h A t M i d b a r Michael Aaron Fieldman, the firstborn son of Amy & Barry Fieldman was born on February 3rd, 1988 in Las Vegas. He was named for his grandfather, Martin Ogintz and his great grandfather, Aaron Schaffer. This will be the first Bar Mitzvah in the Fieldman family. Being Jewish has always been an important component of Michael's life. He was one of the first religious school students at Midbar Kodesh Temple. He grew to become a member of Kadima and, currently, USY. He is well grounded in tradition and customs of the Jewish culture and hopes to visit Israel, in the not too distant future. In fact, there is not a doorpost that Michael passes with a mezuzah on it that he does not bless. Aside from his involvement in his religious life, Michael has a very broad range of interests and hobbies. Most of which keep him surrounded by lots of friends. Hockey, boogie boarding, rollerblading, basketball and skiing are some of his favorites. Michael is currently a 7th grade student at Greenspun Junior High School and spends his summers at camp in Malibu, CA or on the beach in Newport. To know Michael Fieldman is to know that he is passionate about politics. He is an unregistered Democrat and has a pure, clear and not misunderstood opinion on the state of Florida. His brother, Kyle and sister, Erica, along with his parents wish him much success as he enters through this rite of passage into adulthood. We are all very proud of him and look forward to sharing this wonderful occasion together with many family members and friends. Mazel Tov to Michael and his family! " T h a n k Y o u " t o t h e B e l k o f f F a m i l y of " A c e C a m e r a " f o r d o n a t i n g t h e f i l m and p r o c e s s i n g f o r s o m e of t h e p h o t o s on t h i s p a g e l " O n i o n s Are Our F r i e n d s " d e c l a r e d Ryan S t e r l i n g as he p r e p a r e d t h e b a l s a m i c o n i o n m a r m a l a d e a n d S t e a k Au Poivre f o r t h e second s e s s i o n of K.0SHER 101. Ryan, a p r o f e s s i o n a l c h e f t r a i n e d a t t h e Los A n g e l e s C u l i n a r y I n s t i t u t e , and c u r r e n t l y R e s t a u r a n t M a n a g e r of Red S q u a r e a t M a n d a l a y Bay, prepared two s p e c t a c u l a r k o s h e r m e a t d i s h e s f o r his c l a s s , s h a r i n g s p e c i a l t e c h n i q u e s f o r t h e t r a d i t i o n a l s t e a k coated with g r o u n d peppercorns. He a l s o prepared a s a u t e e d d u c k b r e a s t w i t h apricot sauce a n d b u i l t a t o w e r of s w e e t p o t a t o m a s h , b a l s a m i c o n i o n m a r m a l a d e a n d s a u t e e d s p i n a c h . The 12 c l a s s m a t e s o o h e d a n d a a h e d in appreciation at R y a n ' s presentation, prepared in t h e home of A l a n a n d Wendy R o s e l i n s k y . A l a n ( R y a n ' s f u t u r e f a t h e r - i n - l a w ) s e r v e d as s o u s c h e f , s l i c i n g and d i c i n g and c l e a n i n g up, f o l l o w i n g t h e c h e f ' s e x p l i c i t i n s t r u c t i o n s . M i l l ie S i l v e r s t e i n , a l s o a c l a s s m a t e , will do a d a i r y presentation on J a n u a r y 3 0 t h a t t h e s y n a g o g u e . " N o t h i n g To Whine A b o u t " , t h e k o s h e r wine a n d c h e e s e t a s t i n g t o be h e l d on F e b r u a r y 3 r d a t & pm, is t h e c l a s s f i n a l e a n d will be open t o t h e e n t i r e m e m b e r s h i p f o r a d o n a t i o n of $ 3 6 ? ? per p e r s o n . J A N U A R Y 1 6 T H 2001 FEBRUARY 2001 D From the President, continued from page 2 v o l u n t e e r s and paid staff h o u r s to a c c o m p l i s h all that we must do. "Find me someone to work w i t h and we will put this in m o t i o n , " s h o u l d be your o p e n i n g line. "What t i m e does it s t a r t , I ' l l show up a half an hour e a r l y to help w i t h setup" can be a n o t h e r f a v o r i t e new phrase. This will help us a d d r e s s what could become a p r o b l em and might be the quickest way to help our members make the c o n n e c t i o n . " F a b u l o u s F e b r u a r y " will g i v e you a g r e a t sta r t . . . r e I i g i o us, e d u c a t i o n a l and social p r o g r a m m i n g every week stop in and say h e l l o . ~ G e r a l d Welt tm Thank you to the ^ following people for continuing to Support Midbar Kodesh Temple with their Sustaining Membership pledge: Barry & Amy Fieldman Gail & Mark Goldstein Brian & Myra Greenspun David & Maria Kahan Lori & Brian Lipman Lauralee & Hal Rothman Marlene & Ivan Segal Mark & Susan Segal Ira & Edy Seaver Alan & Linda Sklar Arnold & Francine Wax Gerald & Marcy Welt Herbert & Anita Zola "May their memories be a blessing" continued from page 3 Grumps may not have been familiar with the teachings of Pirkei Avot, but the words of our great sage Shammai, describes the life of Grumps perfectly: "Say little, do mucn--receive every person with a warm disposition. . ." Three years ago, Leon started the "Birthday and Anniversary Shabbat" at Midbar Kodesh. Each month he would call everyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary and personally invite them to our special service in their honor. He was so dedicated to this beautiful mitzvah, that during the last few days in the hospital, he asked to make sure the phone c a l l s were being made. Grumps appreciated the way he was treated as his own person at Midbar. We were his congregation and his family. He was proud of the fact that he was the patriarch of four generations of Midbar Kodesh members. And each year on Kol Nidre, he looked forward to holding the Torah in front of the entire congregation. . . Towards the end, when Grumps could barely communicate, he motioned with his hands for someone to bring over his glasses. He wanted to see his entire family. For Grumps it was once again, "say little, do much". . . The Midbar Kodesh family will sorely miss Bob and Leon-- we will never be the same. As we continue to grow both physically and s p i r i t u a l l y as a congregation, let us carry on with their passion and spirit guiding us each step of the way. Zichronam Livracha, may their memories be a blessing. ~Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn Slate of Officers T h e f o l l o w i n g p e o p l e have been n o m i n a t e d f o r t h e b o a r d by t h e n o m i n a t i n g c o m m i t t e e . This s l a t e has been a p p r o v e d by t h e b o a r d of d i r e c t o r s . T h e r e w e r e no o t h e r n o m i n a t i o n s s u b m i t t e d . B a r r y F i e l d m a n ? Neal Lewis ? A l a n R o s e l i n s k y B e r n i e K a u f m a n ? L a u r i e Green R e t u r n i n g as b o a r d m e m b e r s t o f i l l o u t t h e i r e l e c t e d t e r m w i l l be: G e r a l d W e l t ? Edward Goldman ? Janet Stein ? Howard Baron Gail Alcalay ? Stan Ames ? Steven Doctors jj A n d r e w Eisen ? Amy Fieldman ? M a r i a Hollander - Polott J o i n us at t h e a n n u a l c o n g r e g a t i o n a l m e e t i n g on | S u n d a y , F e b r u a r y 4 t h at 1 0 : 3 0 am t o r a t i f y t h i s s l a t e . A q u o r u m is n e e d e d t o c o n d u c t business a t t h i s m e e t i n g . J FEBRUARY 2001 Midbar's Cookbook is s t i l l Available in The Gift Shop ?1229 per book escrip.com & igive.com We w i l l be l e t t i n g you know how much money we have raised for Midbar Kodesh f r om these two promotions. We all hope t h a t you are enrolled. The escrip program costs ?10 per year. Please sign up and start shopping! If you have any questions about the program you can contact Fran Goldberg at nj2lv1977@hotmail.com. Todah Rabah Shabbat Gan Saturday ? February 3rd @ 10:00 am Family Shabbat Friday ? February 16th (a> 7:30pm M i d b a r Mavens M e e t i n g F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h @ n o o n W a t c h T h e S t a r s Come Out W i t h M i d b a r Kodesh T e m p l e At T h e H o m e of M a r i a and D a v i d Kahan on M a r c h 2 5 t h as W e T u n e I n t o t h e A c a d e m y A w a r d s and D i n e T o g e t h e r . W a t c h Your mail for more i n f o r m a t i o n ! M o t h e r ' s Day M e e t i n g On May 2 0 t h we w i l l have a b r u n c h & k i t c h e n shower in h o n o r of M o t h e r s Day. W e a r e l o o k i n g for v o l u n t e e r s to h e l p p l a n t h i s event. P l e a s e j o i n us F e b r u a r y 2 2 n d (a) 1 p m f o r our next m e e t i n g . P l a n on m a k i n g M o t h e r ' s Day m o r n i n g a Day w i t h M i d b a r ! ! ! Please save t h e m o r n i n g of M a y 1 3 t h a n d l o o k f o r more i n f o r m a t i o n soon! __ C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to the Anna and Ken Bless and M a r l e n e and Ivan Segal on t h e recent marriage of t h e i r c h i l d r en Stacy and Ian. A v e r y big " t h a n k you" f o r all of your g e n e r o s i t y h e l p i n g me get some " s t u f f " f o r my new place. You have all been w o n d e r f u l ! Jacqui SAFETY A L E R T ! ! ! P l e a s e do not use t h e s i d e doors in t h e S a n c t u a r y and R o t u n d a . T h e y o f t e n do not l o c k a u t o m a t i c a l l y w h i c h poses a s e r i o u s s a f e ty c o n c e r n . We a p p r e c i a t e your c o o p e r a t i o n . Thank You To Jerry & Marcy Welt For P a r t i a l Sponsorship of A n n i v e r s a r y & B i r t h d a y Shabbat In Honor of Those C e l e b r a t i n g In F e b r u a r y ! Having a Birthday or Anniversary? Observing a Yahrzeit? Consider Sponsoring a Kiddush! Full sponsorship of a basic Kiddush for Friday Night or Saturday Morning is ?15099. Partial Sponsorships in ?3699 increments are now available. Please call Janet Stein @ 361-8810 A d v e r t i s e or Send Good Wishes in Kol Bamidbar C o n t a c t l l e e n & R a n d y Spoor 6 1 4 - 6 8 6 4 ? e m a i l R S 2 3 9 4 @ a o l . c om Deadline for the March Bulletin is February 10th! e-mail^ Is a great tool to help our Synagogue stay in touch with the membership. Get weekly updates on all Synagogue functions, activities and committee projects, e-mail to m i d b a r k o d e s h @ j u n o . c o m to be placed on our list! "Honey on the Page: ^ a Taste of Jewish Learning.' Monday evenings January 22nd thru March n t h Classes held at the JCC from 6:45pm to 9pm. Rabbi Wiederhornwill teach on February 12th from 8pm to 9pm. rBirthday S^Lnniversary Shabbat mill be ^ Celebraatte d OWulbar OCodesh Temple jfebruary 2nd at 730 p.m. c A <u t> Mil i it -j f FEBRUARY 2001 E> % l l L f W I S f A M I L y G i f i S?OP IS ? o ? ? S u n d a y s 9 : 3 0 A M to l l : 3 0 l ? ? T u e s d a y s 4 : 0 0 m l o h : " i ? ? T h u r s d a y s 4 : 0 0 f f l fo 6 : AUG M I U I I E By mOIIIIMIU GIfT CEIimUltS mi (IU! 6IFTS! family Shabbat mill be held on the 3rd Friday of every month at 7:30 pm Join us for an evening of ton?, prayer and stories. This service is tailored for families uiith elementary school a?e children, (families with younger children, no children or ?rown children are always welcome) F a m i l y S h a b b a t P r o g r a m s a t M l d b a r Shabbat Gan mill meet on the 1$t Saturday of every month at 10 am next Shabbat Gan: February 3rd ~ next family Shabbat: february 16th Spend an hour with your child celebrating Shabbat through son?s and stories. This program is tailored for pre-school and kindergarten a?e children together with at least one parent or grandparent. Families with younger children are welcome too!! wm^Smiu ?? "immf- MIDBAR KODESHT 0 b t M j t M j [ 0 D T E M D T C ftiww 4th at 1 1 : 3 1 a m l M r L t SPECIAL ? BBQ ANNUAL MEETING T O F O L L O W ! I EARN CASH FOR YOUR SCHOOL! General Mills | Midbar Kodesh Temple Religious School is now a registered participant with Box Tops for Education. The Religious School will receive 10$ for every General Mills "Box Top" we turn in. www.boxtops4education.com These special tops can be found on such products as Big G Cereal Yoplait Yogurt multi-packs, and Betty Crocker products. This may not sound like much money, but it can really add up quickly \ s o be sure to save your box tops and bring them into the synagogue!!!^ FEBRUARY 2001 B Gail A l c a l a y and her husband Mark t o d e d i c a t e Torah in memory of I r e n e and A l b e r t Rugeti Most members of Midbar Kodesh have seen a tall old Torah that is seldom used. This Torah, Midbar Kodesh's first scroll, was bought by Gail A k a l a y ' s Grandmother ( I r e n e Rugeti) as a gift for the congregation when Midbar Kodesh was first established. In 1996 a Torah scribe inspected this scroll and determined that it had become damaged and could no longer be used. In February 2000, Irene Rugeti died. Gail and her f a m i l y decided to donate a replacement Torah scroll in memory of Irene and her late husband Albert. This dedication is e s p e c i a l l y meaningful because of the Rugeti's family role as pioneers of the Sephardic Jewish community of Los Angeles. Albert Rugeti arrived in Los Angeles just after 1 9 0 0 from the island of Rhodes in the Greek Aegean. Irene Rugeti had been born in El Paso Texas to parents who had emigrated from the Greek City of Salonika. After marriage in Los Angeles, Irene and Albert Rugeti turned their efforts to the o r g a n i z a t i o n of a Sephardic Jewish community in Los Angeles. Along with other families they organized Sephardic Temple T i f e r e i t h Israel. This synagogue now more than 1 , 0 0 0 families is located in Westwood on W i l s h i r e Boulevard. During its o r g a n i z a t i o n , Albert Rugeti took responsibility for borrowing a Torah scroll that the Congregation could use on Sabbaths and holidays. After some searching, AlbertRugeti found a Los Angeles synagogue that had a Torah that could be borrowed for the weekend - but had to be returned on Monday morning! To provide a Torah for his synagogue, Albert Rugeti took the street car on every Friday to borrow the Torah and returned it by street car on Monday morning. Irene Rugeti also had love for the synagogue. She took a leadership role in organizing women into Sephardic Torali Dedication sisterhood that provided financial and other support for^ the congregation. Irene Rugeti believed that the synagogue was an extension of the family. Members of the Sephardic Temple helped each other in times of trouble and celebrated each others j o y . When Irene died at the age of ninety one, she had worked for the Temple for more than seventy years. In 1995 when Midbar Kodesh dedicated its first Torah scroll, Irene Rugeti spoke at Friday night services about the history of the Sephardic community of Los Angeles and the creation of its first synagogue in the 1920s. In selecting a replacement Torah for the one dedicated by Irene Rugeti, Gail Alcalay went to the home of Sofer Ron Sieger in Los Angeles. In a workshop behind his house, Mr. Sieger showed several Torah scrolls that were available for purchase. He explained that a Torah scroll lasted for 75 to 100 years . Most Torah scrolls in the United States today originated in Israel. The price of a Torah scroll r e f l e c t e d the condition of the parchment and the quality of the handwriting. After viewing several s c r o l l s , Gail and her family selected one for delivery to Midbar Kodesh. The Rugeti Torah scroll will be presented to Midbar Kodesh on S a t u r d a y , February 10, 2001. On t h i s Shabbat the Congregation will read the portion of the Torah called "Beshalah." Within this portion is prayer called "Shirat Ha Yam" or "Song of the Sea." This poem attributed to Moses' sister Miriam praised God for delivery of the Jews from Pharaoh at the Red Sea. Because this song is recited during the Torah reading of Beshalah, this Sabbath is referred to as "Shabbat Shirah." After services on Saturday, February 10, Gail and her f a m i l y will host a Shabbat luncheon at the Temple. All members of Midbar Kodesh are invited to attend. During lunch Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn will lead a Torah study session about the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. the ancient Jewish ( ^ U j j {jol comfort end sustain you together with the mourners of Jiion and {Jerusalem. Condolences to the Goldstein and Alcalay family on their recent loss of Bob Goldstein. Condolences to the Horowitz, Welt, Doctors & Moilanen family on their recent loss of Leon *Grumps* Horowitz. c A V j Mif ) 2| ti r FEBRUARY 2001 B Our families were overwhelmed by the love and respect shown toward Bob Goldstein before and after his unexpected passing. We are so appreciative of our dear friends' support during this most trying time. You have been selfless, helping us through the week of Shiva by your generosity and kindness. We will always be grateful a