The Bulletin from Temple Beth Sholom, January 2002

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM Temple Beth Sholom THE BULLETIN January 2002 Tevet-Shevat 5762 Vol. 2, No. 1 Rabbi Stewart Vogel to Speak at Beth Sholom Rabbi Stewart Vogel?coauthor with Dr. Laura Schlessinger of. the best-seller The Ten Commandments: The Significance of\ God's Laws in Everyday Life?will speak at Temple Beth Sholom [ on Sunday, January 13, at 10 a.m. The presentation will follow 9 | a.m. morning minyan and a light breakfast. Rabbi Vogel has long been active in the rabbinic community. He has served on the executive boards of the Rabbinical Assem-bly and the Southern California Board of Rabbis. He is a past I president of the R.A. of the Southwest region, a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Ziegler Rabbinical School, and the Joint I Placement Commission, which is responsible for the congrega-1 tional placement of rabbis. He received his B.A., B.H.L. and teaching credentials from the] University of Judaism in Los Angeles. He received his M.A. and ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, with an emphasis in the field of Jewish education. Rabbi Vogel's presentation is part of the Sha'arei Binah series, made possible through the generous contribution of Ron and Jackie Turshinsky, in memory of their parents Sam-uel and Carlyn Turshinsky and Abe and Sarah Turchen. Reservations are not required for the program; the community is invited to attend. IV Tu. B'shevat tsJflm^ary 2S INSIDE THIS ISSUE Messages from The Rabbi and Cantor 2 From the President Gala Review 3 Under the Dome 4 Education Department Preschool News 5 New Chumash Arrives 6 Donations 8 Women's League Men's Club 10 Advertisements 11 Calendar of Events Schedule of Services 16 Temple Beth Sholom is a Conservative Congregation Affiliated with The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Stewart Vogel Craig 'N Co. to Perform in Las Vegas February 10 Craig 'N Co., featuring award-winning entertainer Craig Taubman, will perform an all-ages concert on Sunday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m., at Temple Beth Sholom. The event is being cosponsored by TBS, Congregation Ner Tamid and the JCC of Southern Nevada. The family concert will feature music from Taubman's popular disk Friday Night Live and his many award-winning children's albums. Over the past two decades, he has established himself as a unique voice in family entertainment, blending kid-friendly themes with adult musical appeal. Taubman's music has become standard at Jewish camps, synagogue services and Jewish schools. He also enjoys a career in television and film composing. He has composed and directed music for children's series on Fox, HBO and PBS. Members of the Temple are encouraged to join the community as Taubman's music brings to life the joy and spirit of Jewish heritage. Tickets are currently available through the Temple office. To purchase a ticket in person, you may visit the Temple office on Sundays, January 13 and 27, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Rabbi's & Cantor's Messages A Message from the Rabbi Felipe Goodman Anti-Semitism in The Las Vegas Review Journal During my lifetime I have seen my share of anti- Semitic rhetoric and pointless and senseless attacks on our people. Many times I have said that most anti- Semitic attacks are based on ignorance and arro-gance, but I had never been confronted with something like what Barbara Robinson wrote in her column in the Las Vegas Review Journal on December 14, 2001. I do not believe in reprinting or redistributing anti-Semitic propaganda so I won't reprint the "journalist's" awful words in our bulletin. I don't usually reply to this type of rhetoric because I think it only empowers the horri-ble people who write it, but this time I could not remain silent. I sent a letter to the editor of the Review Journal but as of the date that I submitted this article to the edi-tor of our bulletin I do not know if my letter will be printed by the Review Journal, so here, I share it with you, begging you not to remain silent when either our people or The State of Israel are attacked in such a horrible way. Dear Editor: I found Barbara Robinson's article entitled "U.S. shouldn't choose sides in Middle East" nothing short of offensive and humiliating. I am perplexed at the lack of information that exists in relation to the situation in the Middle East and at people like Ms. Robinson who take a pen in their hand and use it to further misinform the public. To ask The State of Israel to find a partner for peace in someone like Yasser Arafat is like asking the United States of America to sit and negotiate with Osama Bin Laden. I would like to ask Ms. Robinson: How many buses filled with commuters must Hamas blow up before that can be called a terrorist act in her view? How many Israeli children have to be shot by Palestinian snipers before that can be called a terrorist act? What is the "evil" that Ms. Robinson refers to? Is the right of a sovereign nation to protect its citizens against terrorism an act of "evil?" I wonder if Ms. Rob-inson feels that the bombing in Afghanistan and the U.S. military campaign in that country is also an act of "evil" perpetrated by the United States. The lamentable growth in anti-Semitism that Ms. Robinson refers to is not caused by the situation in the Middle East. Anti-Semitism is caused by people like her who take advantage of the position that newspa-pers like yours give to people like her! And one more thing. The State of Israel needs no one to "fight the wars of the Jews" in its place, and that is one of the reasons that we have a State of Israel. Let me remind Ms. Robinson that if not for the Israeli Air force that in the early 1980s took out an Iraqi nu-clear reactor, perhaps the attack on New York City and Washington, D.C., might have been of much greater consequences. I, for one, feel extremely proud that Is-rael has such a strong ally and friend in the United States, and thank God that The Jewish People have learned the hard way and through the centuries to truly understand the words of Ms. Robinson not only as an act of ignorance but also as an act of hate. Rabbi Felipe Goodman President The Southern Nevada Board Of Rabbis A Message from the Cantor Daniel Friedman "The world stands on three things?the Torah, the [Temple] service, and loving acts of kindness." I read this mishnah the other day while studying the Pirke Avot, and I was delighted to discover the origin of a wonderful song that I sing with the kids. The song is called "Al Shlosha Devarim," and the text is lifted di-rectly from this same Pirke Avot mishnah, Mishnah 1:2. "The world stands on three things?the Torah, the [Temple] service and loving acts of kindness." "Al shlosha devarim haolam omed?al haTorah, v'al ha-avodah, v'al g'milut chasadim." Wow, I thought to my-self, "What a wonderful thing to be teaching our chil-dren, and in song no less." Every Monday and Thursday I have the pleasure of singing with the preschool children. This mishnah is one of the songs we sing. The children struggle to place three fingers in the air, delighted at the challenge to coordinate their hands to their eyes. And when we all have our fingers ready, we sing, "Al shlosha devarim haolam omed?al haTorah, v'al ha-avodah, v'al g'milut chasadim." "A Message from the Cantor" continues on page 9 2 Jan. 2002 Security Fund Update From the President Sandy Mallin How can we top this year's "Man of the Year" dinner? They say pictures are worth a thousand words; as you can see, a good time was had by all. Nearly 500 guests came to toast and roast Freddie Glusman. Majestic Caterers prepared a magnificent dinner and cocktail hour, during which all our fabulous silent auction items were bid on. My sincere thanks to the hard-working committee of Arlene Blut, Shirley Chaplin, Marci Murdock, Ann Knowles, Mona Silverman, Maria Letizia and Audrey Merkin. Last but not least, our thanks to the many "Friends of Freddie" the generous donors to our auction?such as Fred Leighton Jewelers, Locman Watches, Aric Rosenberg, Las Vegas Shows.com and Ginny McCord, The Source, who graciously donated the sound and lighting. Please join us in the many other activities our Temple will be holding throughout the coming year. Pictured at the Gala are (clockwise from top left) Sandy Mallin and Tom Letizia, showcasing a diamond ring from Fred Leighton?one of the auction items; Let-izia with Mayor Oscar Goodman, Jan Jones and Ron Lurie; "Roasters" Irwin Molasky, Rick Rizzolo, Manny Cortez, Jan Jones, Henry Lewin, Oscar Goodman, Mike Sloan, Jerry Tarkanian, Ron Lurie and Honoree Freddie Glusman; TBS members (front row) Irwin & Edye Goldberg, Sid-ney & Shirley Chaplin, Ruth & Allen Brewster, (back row) Irv & Elaine Steinberg, Judy & Ron Mack, Mona Silverman, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and Charles Silverman; D.J. Jensen, Ann Knowles, Marci Mur-dock, Helene Rosen and Audrey Merkin, all of whom assisted with Gala planning; Temple members Shirley Chaplin, Fran Levien and Mel Wolzinger; Barry Glusman, with Sam Dvorak and Jackie Dvorak; Gover-nor & Mrs. Kenny Guinn with "Freddie." Jan. 2002 3 Under The Dome ^ j i A m New Chavurah Forming?Start 2002 off by making new friends! A new Chavurah is being formed for singles 21 to 35?please give it a try. Call Lou Bouchet at 255-4150 to sign up or for additional information. Etz Hayim Chumash Available?The first edi-tion of our new chumash is now available in the Judaica Shop. We have sold out of the print-ing at the special introductory rate; chumashim now sell for $72. Women's League Schedule?Jan. 16: Women's League meeting and light lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., featuring the film The Kripke Tower: A New Light, followed by Rabbi Good-man's book review and discussion on The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis. Jan. 25-26: Women's League Shabbat. Jan. 27: Torah Fund Luncheon, with honorees Mona Silverman and Audrey Merkin. Women's League members will receive further details by mail. Hevra Kadisha Seeks Members?With the growth of both our congregation and the Jewish Community at large we are ex-periencing an increased need for the par-ticipation of our Hevra Kadisha in the rit-ual purification and preparation of our loved ones as they depart this world. Be-ing part of the Hevra Kadisha at Temple Beth Sholom can be a genuinely inspiring and rewarding experience. The highest form of gemilut hasadim (act of loving kindness) that we can perform as individu-als is to participate in this most holy of deeds. We need volunteers to help us and to help our brothers and sisters in their time of need. If you are interested in be-ing part of our Hevra Kadisha or if you have any questions please call Jacob Rai-jman (coordinator for men), 804-1333, or Linda White (coordinator for women), 254-0281. Remember that many of these ancient rituals bring with them peace, spirituality and fulfillment to all of us who perform them. "Under the Dome" is an ongoing column of general information. Read "Under the Dome" to find out the latest tidbits about people and events at Temple Beth Sholom. ? Jan. 2002 Education Department/Preschool News Religious School to Celebrate Tu B'Shevat On Sunday, January 27, our Religious School will hold a Tu B'Shevat Assembly for its students and their families. Tu B'Shevat is the "Birthday of the Trees," a celebration of nature and all the wonders it holds for us. It is also a wonderful opportunity to unite with the State of Israel through the Jewish National Fund (JNF). This year, our school is participating in the "100 Years of Jewish National Fund" project, to-gether with 2,000 other schools around the U.S. Through this project, a tree will be planted in Israel in the name of each of our students, and they will receive a certificate from JNF. We are also very fortunate to have a JNF speaker who will come to our school's Tu B'Shevat assembly. The assembly will feature our children performing Tu B'Shevat songs; another high-light will be when the students plant bushes around the Temple. Each family will have the opportunity to plant a bush. If you do not have children in the religious school and would like to participate in this activity, please contact Jacob or Ayelet, 804-1333, ext. 115 or 114, so we can add you to our count. There is a $10 fee per family. Temple Beth Sholom's Education Department is of-fering a variety of language courses for adults. We are proud to offer Hebrew classes and a Yiddish class. The Yiddish class meets every Wednesday, at 7 p.m. Come and join the fun of keeping this wonderful lan-guage alive. A conversational Hebrew class meets every Tues-day, at 7 p.m. In this class, students are learning the basics of spoken Hebrew as it is used in Israel today. The Hebrew reading class meets every Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. Students are learning to read Hebrew and are becoming familiar with the prayers in the siddur. Cost for each class is $30 per month. If you are in-terested in one or more of these classes, contact Jacob or Ayelet. Winter semester begins on Monday, January 7. Ayelet Blit Assistant Director of Education News from the Sandra & Stanley Mallin Early Childhood Center What a wonderful December at the preschool! The month began with our Bagel Talk series, hosted this month by Rabbi Goodman, who taught about Hanuk-kah. The children participated in their annual Hanuk-kah Festival on December 12. We had almost 325 people attend, and the children did a fabulous job per-forming dances from various countries. We would like to thank the Women's League for their tireless effort and support this month. The preschool will be closed for winter break through January 2. We will hold our Tu B'Shevat Seder at the preschool on January 28. Registration for the 2002-2003 school year will begin in early February. If you are interested in touring the preschool or being put on the mailing list for fall infor-mation, please contact us soon. The 3rd Annual Children's Fashion Show Fund-raiser is planned for April 14. This event benefits both the religious school and preschool children. This year's theme is "Under The Big Top!" We will have a spectacular fashion show, great food, midway games, photo ops, lots of raffles and silent auction items. We need help. If you would like to participate in this event, or just need more information, feel free to contact the preschool office. USY Members to Attend Kinnus, Hold Super Bowl Sleepover On December 1, nearly 30 TBS teens attended our first USY meeting of the year at the Suncoast Hotel, for pizza and Cosmic Bowling. Everyone had a great time. Thanks to Mona and Charles Silverman for gra-ciously hosting this event. Six of our USYers will at-tend a Kinnus in early January at Valley Beth Sholom in LA, learning that "Israel is Real." Our next event will be a Super Sleepover at our Temple, along with USY members from Midbar Ko-desh. The event begins Saturday evening, February 2, and continues overnight. It concludes with a viewing of the Super Bowl game. All Temple Jewish teens, 12- 17, should look for more information in the mail in mid- January. Should you know of USY candidates, for more infor-mation, or to receive our mailings, please call Phyllis Harris or Gary Segal at 873-5324, or contact the Tem-ple office. Jan. 2002 5 New Chumash Arrives Conservative Movement Creates New Chumash Reflecting Our Evolving Faith By Ami Eden of the Forward reprinted with permission Leaders of Conservative Judaism have argued from their pulpits for more than 50 years that the Torah is a divinely inspired document that evolved over centuries, rather than the product of a single encounter with God at Mount Sinai. [Now], their congregants will finally be able to follow along in the pews with a Conservative Bible commentary that says the same thing. Conservative synagogues across the country are receiv-ing shipments of Etz Hayim, or Tree of Life, the first one-volume, annotated version of the Five Books of Moses ever put out by the movement. Until now, most of the movement's 800 congregations have relied on the 65-year-old "Hertz" Chumash, named for its editor, the late J.H. Hertz, chief rabbi of England, who spiritedly insisted that the Torah was revealed in its entirety to Moses by God at Mount Sinai. The new commentary comes at a time when many of the Conservative movement's leading academics and pulpit rabbis are attempting to close a yawning religious gap be-tween themselves and their followers. More so than any other synagogue movement in America, Conservative Ju-daism has been dogged by the claim that its ideology ? a hybrid of religious innovation and adherence to traditional rabbinic law ? is rarely followed, if even understood, by the bulk of its members. While Conservative congregants generally practice a far less stringent brand of Judaism than their religious leaders, one Los Angeles rabbi, David Wolpe, sparked a major brouhaha last Passover with a sermon challenging the bib-lical account of the Exodus from Egypt. Such challenges to the theory of Mosaic authorship, however, are ideological staples at the movement's Jewish Theological Seminary. "For the first time in over a generation, we have a Chu-mash that reflects the ideology of the Conservative move-ment," said Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice presi-dent of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which published the new commentary this month in part-nership with the movement's Rabbinical Assembly and the non-denominational Jewish Publication Society. So far, Rabbi Epstein said, several hundred congrega-tions have ordered a total of 80,000 copies of the new commentary ? sight unseen. The list price is $72.50, he said, but synagogues received significant discounts for pre-publication and bulk orders. Several observers said that early sales had been helped by the participation of a pair of renowned author-rabbis, Chaim Potok and Harold Kushner, who edited two of the main commentaries that run through the work beneath the Hebrew text and English translation. A former JPS editor and author of The Chosen, Rabbi Potok edited the "P'shat" section, which attempts to explain the literal meaning of the biblical text as understood by the ancient Israelites. It is actually a condensed version of a five-volume commentary published in stages by JPS since 1989, that was put together [over the course of a] decade by four scholars with historic ties to the Conservative movement: Nahum Sarna, Baruch Levine, Jacob Milgrom and Jeffrey Tigay. In the "D'rash" section, Rabbi Kushner and his contribu-tors draw on talmudic, medieval, Chassidic and modern Jewish commentators to elaborate on the text's deeper meaning. "I wanted the average synagogue-goer or Bar Mitzvah guest to see the reading of the Torah as an en-counter with a source of moral guidance," said Rabbi Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. "I wanted them to see the moral depths of the To-rah that a simple reading of the text might not give them." The third running commentary on the Torah ? co-edited by Rabbi Elliot Dorff, rector of the University of Judaism, the Conservative movement's West Coast rabbinical semi-nary, and Rabbi Susan Grossman, of Beth Shalom Con-gregation in Columbia, Md. ? attempts to show how vari-ous biblical verses served as the basis for later Jewish laws and Conservative practices. Etz Hayim also contains 41 essays in the back by leading Conservative rabbis and scholars, in addition to each week's Haftarah reading and a corresponding commentary edited by Michael Fishbane. Just as important as any of these features, said several Conservative congregants and pulpit rabbis, will be the chance to read from a modern English translation first pub-lished by JPS in the 1985. Even while hyping Etz Hayim, Conservative leaders were quick to praise Hertz, the first graduate of JTS, describing his commentary as venerable and sometimes brilliant. But, they said, the seminal work is out of date in terms of its scholarship and apologetics. Several observers said Hertz wrote his commentary at a time when Christian scholars were not only rejecting the notion of Mosaic authorship, but dismissing traditional Jew-ish commentators, attacking the morality of the ancient Is-raelites and accusing the rabbis of the talmudic era of per-verting the biblical tradition by failing to accept Jesus. To-day, however, American Jews occupy a much more secure rung on the societal ladder than the Yiddish-speaking im-migrants of the first half of the 20th century . 6 Jan. 2002 New Chumash Arrives/TBS to Cosponsor Film "We have no interest in apologetics," said Rabbi David Lieber, senior editor of Etz Hayim and the former president of University of Judaism. He noted that the new commentary does not attempt to sugarcoat aspects of the Torah that might offend modern sensibilities, such as its countenance of slavery, unequal treatment of women or elaborate system of animal sacrifice. Unlike Hertz, who often defended Israel-ite society by presenting it as more progressive than the sur-rounding ancient world, contributors to Etz Hayim do not shy away from criticizing the religion of the early Hebrews. "We make no bones about the fact that slavery is some-thing that cannot be justified," Rabbi Lieber said. "At the same time, we say that the Jewish tradition eventually elimi-nated slavery because of the spirit of the Torah." In his defense of Judaism and the Torah, Hertz rejected the fundamental premise of the emerging field of biblical criticism: that the Pentateuch was really a compilation of several different documents woven together by human "redactors" over hundreds of years. And yet he never hesi-tated to cull other findings from the field when they sup-ported his belief in a direct revelation at Sinai, the historical accuracy of the Five Books of Moses and the moral superi-ority of the ancient Israelites. The editors of Etz Hayim, on the other hand, fully embrace the deeper implications of biblical criticism, including the no-tion of an evolved Torah. In fact, they not only accept this view, but consider it vital to understanding the text and the Jewish faith. "I believe that this commentary does very much under-score and support the things that I was preaching about ear-lier this year," said Rabbi Wolpe, who contributed an essay to Etz Hayim. "This commentary embraces the idea that the Torah yields wisdom when examined by both ancient and TBS TO COSPONSOR FILM Temple Beth Sholom will co-sponsor a screening of the film Trembling Before G-d, as part of the Las Vegas Celebration of Jew-ish Film. The movie will be shown at the Suncoast's Century 16 Thea-ter on Thursday, January 17, at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are available through the Temple office. For additional information about the Celebration of Jewish Film, or for details about the movies that com-prise the Celebration, visit www. desertspace.org or call (702) 562- 8611. ? Jan. 2002 modern methodologies." This embrace of biblical criticism is significant, several contributors said, but should be understood as a means to-ward providing synagogue-goers with a commentary that will inspire them. "It's designed to help Jews improve the quality of their lives," said Rabbi Grossman. Rabbi Grossman and other contributors noted that congre-gants will now be able to study from a commentary that takes into account the Holocaust, Israel's founding, techno-logical advances and Western civilization's elevation of women. For example, the new commentary compares the Egyptian midwives of Exodus who refuse to kill first-born Is-raelite males to the righteous gentiles of World War II. Rabbi Grossman headed a team of five women rabbis who pored over early drafts. "Women's voices are main-streamed," Rabbi Grossman said, "so that they are part and parcel of the overall way of looking at text." For example, while the "P'shat" commentary presents the historical view that Sarah laughs in disbelief at the news that she will become pregnant in her old age, the "D'rash" sec-tion suggests that she may be happy at the thought of re-newing marital relations with her elderly husband. While the new commentary serves to highlight Conserva-tive Judaism's leading scholars and pulpit rabbis, it also pro-vides a rare instance of the movement speaking in a loud, unified, theological voice. "It's a good feeling," said Rabbi Vernon Kurtz, president of the Rabbinical Assembly. "Especially for a movement that is very often not always on the same path theologically, relig-iously or even programmatically." Opening night of the first-ever Las Vegas Celebration I of Jewish Film At Century 16 Theaters in the Suncoast Hotel and Casino. $8 in advance at the synagogue, $12 at the door. Call 804-1333 for ticket info. Thursday, January 17, 2002 at 7.00p.m. TREMBLINGBEFOREG-D "Fine and powerful" Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times On the Web Co-sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom - For reviews and additional information, visit www.desertspace.org DONORS. FRAN NORWOOD, LILLIAN AND HENRY KRONBERG, TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM MEN'S CLUB, BLANCHE AND PHILIP MEISEL. JUDY AND RONALD MACK Tributes...Donations from our Hearts BUILDING FUND In honor of: Irv Steinberg's Bar Mitzvah Aliyah Shelley, Stan & David Carroll Cantor Friedman's New Home Debbie & Harold Lederer Belinda Donner's Bat Mitzvah Lil & Kenny Glicken Refuah Shleimah to: Lauren Frumes The TBS Men's Club CANTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND In memory of: Helen Herman The Sherri Snowbel Family The Larry Herman Family The Bruce Herman Family EDUCATION FUND In honor of: Sheila & Norman Mozin's Anniversary Nina & Les Boshes Judy & Ron Mack's Birthdays Kathleen & Morris Menasche In memory of: Alberto Polikar Zena & Bennett Fishbain Herb Silverman Shirley Davis Irene Winocoor Mimi Katz GENERAL FUND In honor of: Bennett Fishbain's Birthday Bennett & Zena Fishbain's 54th Anniversary Hanukkah Nancy, Kenny, Kevin & Maggie Fishbain Dee & Hal Ober's Special Anniversary Florence Bolatin Shari Ann Schwartzer's Bat Mitzvah Sylvia & Howard Schwartzer Temple Beth Sholom, The Silverman Family Shirley Davis Irv Bransky "sharing his gift" The Relaxation Group The Anniversary of Morris Gertz's Bar Mitzvah Jackie & Ron Turshinsky The Engagement of Rochelle & Arnold Schneider's daughter Ruth Goldfarb Sid Chaplin, Hanukkah Edie Barlow In appreciation of: Women's League, Men's Club Tributes In memory of Helen Herman Irving Herman & Family SECURITY FUND Marci & Jose Parejo In Honor of: Belinda Donner's Bat Mitzvah Edye & Irwin Goldberg Lovee & Bob Arum Michael Heitner & Family RABBI'S DISCRETIONARY FUND In memory of: Helen Herman The Sherri Snowbel Family The Larry Herman Family The Bruce Herman Family In honor of: Rabbi Goodman Engagement of Rochelle & Arnold Schneider's daughter Zena & Bennett Fishbain Jackie & Ron Turshinsky Irving Herman YAHRZEIT/MEMORIAL FUND Betty Babendure Helen & Monroe Rosenberg Harry Banks Judge David Zenoff David & Zohra Benisty Miriam Sharp Max Berenkrantz Hilda Stein Howard Bleecker Sharin & Mark Bleecker Lee Breitbord Arlene & Jerry Blut Jennie Brown Rose Raphael Lillian Brustowsky Ruth & Allen Brewster Fred Burns Ella Bums Harry Caplan Howard Caplan Anne Cohen Lily & Max Phillips Nissim Eskenazi Sally & Zadick Eskenazi Bernard Fruchter Barbara & Bernard Fruchter Gertrude Fruchter Barbara & Bernard Fruchter Rochelle Schneider Arlene W. Frumes Lauren Frumes Pearl Gelman Lily & Max Phillips Bernice Glazer Birdie & Jerry Willick Irving Gordon Pat & Don Gordon Frances Katherine Grippo Roslyn Smolen Aaron Hodes Abe Hodes Gertrude & Hyman Isaacson Sally Birman Arthur Jaeger Jacque Jaeger Gloria Kahn The Fred Memar Family Melvin Kahn Priscilla Schwartz Michael Kaplan Sid Kaplan Roz Katz Selma & Louis Katz Fritz Kohn Blanka Kohn Yaakov Koulange Ethel & Albert Koulange Aaron Leitner Murray Leitner Minna Levy Ellen & Paul Bodner Hope Lifton Sybil & Hy Ankerman and Family Rose Mogill Barbara & Marlowe Mogill Eddie Moss Kaz Pratt Nellie Mosse Myra & David Berkovits Lawrence "Larry" Mushkin May Mushkin & Family Jacob Ober D'vorre & Hal Ober Alberto Polikar Louise & Jerry Appenzeller Ruth Goldfarb 8 Jan. 2002 Tributes...Donations from our Hearts Joseph Porath Jacob Rosenthal William Stollowitz Gloria & Alan Mintz Florence Bolatin Bonnie Bernstein Harry Radbel Herman Rubin Sarah Stromber Eve & Sidney Marco Mike Rubin Gloria & Alan Mintz Michelle Raymer Sam Rubin Flossie Walters Nadolyn & Kenny Karchmer Annette & Jerry Rubin Fran & Murray Schofel Norman Rofey Norman SamoilofT Nathan Weitzman D'vorre & Hal Ober Marcia & Jerry SamoilofT Lily & Max Phillips Lillian Rosenberg Sam Serether Samuel Wexler Phil Rosenberg Gerry & Abe Toscher Daniel Wexler Monroe Rosenberg Ann Showel Julia Winner, Dr. William Winner Esther & Maury Beglman Sam Showel Dorothy Demby Ella Bums Irving Shulman Maggie & Bob Neuman Debbie Lederer In appreciation of: Elliot & Ella Shaikin Betty Smorack The Yahrzeit Minyan Gerry & Abe Toscher and Family Ann & Milton Frank Joseph Wrobel Betty Rosencrantz Benjamin Spector Lynn & Ame Rosencrantz and Eleanor Libby Spector Family d 1,0 y. 0 A MESSAGE FROM THE CANTOR Continued from page 2 As I think back on this mishnah, my heart warms with the thought of how wonderfully simple Judaism can be in teaching life lessons. So simple sometimes we don't even realize we are being taught a lesson. Take for example the song I mentioned above..."The world stands on three things." Pretty simple. "The world stands on three things?the Torah, the [Temple] service and loving acts of kindness." But what does this mishnah mean? Thank goodness we have rabbis and scholars to help us under-stand such simple statements. Maimonides writes that proper human existence could not be maintained if we are not diligent of these three things. Rashi writes that the world would not even exist if it were not for these three things. With this simple teaching in mind, we strive to have more of a religious commitment to God by being conscious of our behavior toward other people [g'milut chasadim]. We go to school, we read, we study, we learn, we get a job, we marry, we raise a family as we struggle to understand such apparently simple statements. We keep abreast of current events. We send our children to school and teach them all that we have learned, and pray for a better tomorrow, as we live our lives as fully as we can today. We learn how to be contributing members of society. We learn how to be good people, righteous people. We learn how to keep our complex lives in balance. This is what we call life, the continuous ebb and flow of everyday activities. So, I teach children to sing simple songs that have a few words that contain little les-sons that help us to understand and to live life. Perhaps these lessons are easier re-membered when put to a melody? Perhaps, later in life, these children will look deeper into the song and study a lyric for more answers? Perhaps each of us remembers a song we were taught in our youth that has a rather profound meaning? I would love to hear your songs. And then, when the day was done, I went home and yelled at my wife, kicked the dog, and banished my daughter to her room because I was frustrated that I was late getting to the corner to meet the family I walk to Temple with, so I could study the Torah and attend Temple services, and pray to God to give me strength and open my heart and mind so I can study the Torah, attend services and do acts of loving kind-ness. Isn't it funny how life works? Life is like a song. Sometimes it just doesn't matter what the words are or what they mean. Sometimes the only thing that matters is that you joyously sing out your own song as loudly and clearly as you can. Oh, and don't forget, we have a new Shabbat Morning service on Saturday, January 26, and Craig Taubman is coming to Las Vegas on February 10 for a concert here at TBS. See you at the Temple. icnovi tfve/Le ia. a time. Jor etau^tlung.: a time, to ceHebiate. tike. mihtitoaeA., to mandei at tike, bexjirirurujA o^ arui mourn ita. a?pa/iotion&. TDe iKa-nic tjxiu. j!cyi acJwu>v$?e3<ji?uj. tke&e tim