Invitation and program for Temple Beth Sholom building dedication, September 2000

Temple B eth S holom P le a s e a tte n d th e jo y o u s d e d ic a tio n of Tem ple Beth Sholom In a c e r e m o n y o f t r a d i t i o n a n d celebration n arrated by M on ty H a l l A c c o m p a n i e d b y U N L V Sym phony O rchestra In au gu ral docent tours of the A rt o f T em p le Beth Sholom available follow ing program S u n d a y , S e p te m b e r 24, 2000 4 p.m . 1 0 7 0 0 H a v e n w o o d Lane Town Center Drive b e tw e e n S a h a r a A v e . a n d D e s e r t I n n R d . Pd{.c d ?.P P P P . PPddy ? d e^i/en id er 2 0 , 8 0 4 - 7 3 3 3 Pddea?e O ? oTe: ? fe a /a n <f ?? /i m i/e d Temple Beth Sholom (d/A e ?oe^U y -^cjur/As o^AdfefUeMiAey Q ^m ?Aie yeuw lujo- tAou?finsA D e d ic a tio n o f T e m p le B e th S h o lo m S W ?0 em /de 3A~)et/i ?A%o/om Q/fiemdneni a n d Cdnie-ndi; 'AA eAco me ta oun dedication cerem ony a n d nuiiicad e-ede/nnation . d id axe de/iy/tted to Au ne you diane ?ni tAici meui Aey?nntny ai oan iyn a yoyoe continua oun iony a n d m eantnyfid com m itm ent to ?fifiewidi Acfi in- 2d d e y a i. dA'ouij in oan ?act/i decade < f tnudittext, tenoice a n d education^ ddem /de , ? )e t/ ?dAo/om ?6 /united to extend a Aanyen te/ection ofi/noynam i tAan eve/n Aefione. (ddoday tenvei ai- oun/ AyiicaA a n d i/unituxd Anidye finom- tAe / a i t to lAie fintane. r dt alio iiy n ifia t/ie/ owenfiuA outcome wAe/n indioidua/i ofifidntitude a n d dedication iAiane a com m on dineam. e une Anleited to Ae iunnounded Ay io mucA Aove a n d finiendsAi/i. tdA anA you finn dianiny oun mitcnoiA. Program Sharon E. Sigesmund Hanging of Mezuzah Rabbi Felipe Goodman Psalm 30: A Song for the Dedication of the Temple Sandy Mallin, Temple President Welcome and historical perspective Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein, Executive Vice President Greetings The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Dr. Robert Wexler, President Greetings University of Judaism Jim Lukasiewicz, Chairperson Greetings Temple Beth Sholom Building Committee Rabbi Jeremy Weiderhorn A Message of Appreciation Midbar Kodesh Temple Rabbi William H. Lebeau, Vice Chancellor Reading The Jewish Theological Seminary of America Rabbi Felipe Goodman Remarks Monty Hall Do You Believe In Miracles? UNLV Symphony Orchestra Torah Procession She?echeyanu Hatikvah Our sincere gratitude to Shirley and Sidney Chaplin and Southern Wine and Spirits for their ongoing support and donation of the champagne for this evening. Monty Hall Born in Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada, Monty?s love for the arts grew at the University of Manitoba, where he performed in all college musicals and dramatic productions and served as emcee of Canadian Army shows during the war. Monty later resumed his career as actor, singer, emcee and sportscaster. In 1955, he worked in New York and then Hollywood. It was there that Monty sold his first production to NBC. This was followed by ?Let?s Make a Deal!? which ran from January 1964 to 1986, and once again in 1990 for another cycle. He has headlined the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas and starred in his own variety show specials at ABC; and in 1973, he was honored by having his star placed in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Monty has appeared as a guest star on numerous television shows and movies. In the summer of 1978, he starred in the musical comedy ?High Button Shoes? in theatres across the country. Monty?s life away from television has been as important as his time in the spotlight. He has traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe extensively, speaking and performing for countless charities. He is currently on the boards of many organizations, including several hospitals and nonprofits that are fighting diseases. His charitable and philanthropic activities have brought him more than 500 awards, including the Israel Bonds King David Award, Israel Bonds Sword of Haganah Award, Variety Heart Award, ADL Torch of Liberty Award, B?Nai B?rith Susie Award, Bar Ilan University Menachem Begin Award and many more. Monty is married to Marilyn, an Emmy-award winning writer-producer. The Halls have three children Joanna Gleason, a Tony-award winning Broadway actress; Richard, an Emmy-award winning television producer, and Sharon, a television director/writer. The Halls have four grandchildren. George Edward Stelluto Music Director of the UNLV Symphony Orchestra, George has appeared as conductor with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Connecticut String Orchestra, Yale School of Music, the Aspen Music School and Festival, the Winona Symphony Orchestra, The Wieniawski String Orchestra of Poland, the Peter Britt Music Festival and the Nevada Symphony Orchestra, among others. This coming year he will debut with the Lodz Philharmonic in Poland and the Kiev Philharmonic at the Kiev Music Festival in Ukraine. In Lodz he will conduct the European premiere of the Double Concerto by American composer Lalo Schiffrin and give masterclasses at the Lodz Conservatory. George holds two Masters degrees (Violin and Conducting) from the Yale University School of Music and received his Bachelors from West Virginia University. He has studied in France at l?Orchestre Regional de Picardie and in Germany at the Munic Philharmonic. His violin teachers included Charles Castleman, Paul Kantor, Sidney Harth, Jaap Schroeder, Syoko Aki, Stephen Heyde, Grace Powell, and Victor Ramanul. Under his direction, the UNLV Symphony Orchestra has grown in quality and stature. From its appearance at the opening of the Bellagio Resort with singer David Foster to the Fall Gala for the Southern Nevada Opera Association with mezzo-soprano Jane Dutton, the orchestra has established itself as a versatile and sought-after cultural entity in Las Vegas. The orchestra has just been invited to perform at festival events in Bern, Switzerland during the 2001-2002 season. Rabbi Felipe Goodman If three years ago someone would have told me that today I would be the Rabbi of this incredible, vibrant, growing, breathing congregation in Las Vegas, 1 would probably have told them that they were absolutely out of their minds. Why would I have answered that? Well, first you have to understand that three years ago I didn't believe anyone lived in Las Vegas, aside from Siegfried & Roy, of course. Three years ago I would have never imagined the wonderful Jewish Community we have in this beautiful valley. I truly believe that it was Beshert (predetermined) for me to be here with my family. It has been an extraordinary adventure that we have been fortunate to share with all the members of this wonderful and amazing congregation. Our congregation has worked diligently to turn Beth Sholom into the Temple that it is today. It hasn?t always been easy but it has been very rewarding. The single most important asset that this congregation has is its people. It is precisely the people of Temple Beth Sholom who have made this dream possible. It is the people of Temple Beth Sholom who have proven that when you try hard and you dream big, nothing is impossible. When we set off to complete this great task, there were many voices of doom that together echoed and predicted our failure, for many our congregation was a fossil....something that belonged in the past and should have never made it into the future. How wrong they were! Everything that you see here today is much more than a striking sanctuary and Synagogue complex. What you see is all of our hard work. What you see represents our biggest and finest effort. Every single one of us contributed in one way or another. I can tell you with certainty that from today onward, the Jewish community of Las Vegas will never be the same. Through our hard work, we have established a very important precedent, one of quality, endurance, spirituality and commitment. Today the message goes forth that The Conservative Movement is alive and well in the Las Vegas Valley. Committed to the history of our people, to the adherence to Jewish law and traditions, and to the vision that modernity demands from us, we unite our voices and we declare that miracles exist, that miracles can happen and will certainly happen when we help God and when we become his partners in making dreams come true. Sandy Mallin The Elders Shall Dream Dreams: The Youth Shall See Visions Joel 3:1 Each generation has its visionaries. Like our ancestors, whose roots were born in a desert country, so here in a place with similar geography where a group of dedicated pioneers laid the cornerstone for what is now Temple Beth Shalom. In approximately 1931, Sally and Mike Gordon, A.J. Schur and Harry, Louis and Nate Mack along with about twenty other families, began gathering in the back of a store in order to pray and teach Torah to their children. They called themselves the Sons and Daughters of Israel. In 1946, the dreams of the Jewish Community, led by the first temple president, A.J. Schur, along with Arthur Brick, A1 Salton, A1 Goot, Harry Levy, Murray Wollman and those mentioned above, founded what was to be the Jewish Community Center of Las Vegas at 13th and Carson Streets. By 1957, under the leadership of President Jake Kozloff, followed by President Harry Levy, and due to the enormous growth of the congregation, the decision was made to move to 16th and Oakey. The Building Committee Chairman was David Zenoff. The Building Fund Chairmen were Moe Dalitz and Merv Adelson, and the Construction Chairmen were Melvin Moss, Irwin Molasky and Jean Messing. Max Goot was the driving force behind much of the fundraising. Temple Beth Sholom became the center of Jewish life in Las Vegas. With the dedication of the Kolod Center, children from the entire community now had a central meeting place. When Las Vegas began to explode with growth to the North, South, East and West, the Board of Directors under the leadership of President Allen Brewster, made the difficult, but wise decision to ?go west.? The fact that we are here today dedicating this magnificent synagogue is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our outstanding membership and philanthropic community members. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to these extraordinary visionaries. It took vision in 1931 it took vision in 1957, and it takes vision today to create a spiritual home mat will serve future generations well into the 21st century. As the remarkable leaders in our hisiwy paved the way, the future generations will continue their legacy. Temple Beth Sholom is proud of the works of Judaic art that add so much to the spirituality of our synagogue. As you approach our building, enter through our magnificent doors and lobby, and are seated in our sanctuary, please take notice of these important pieces: Jerusalem Stone facade The Burning Bush The Entry Door Mosaic Rita Abbey Windows Ark Eternal Light Mizrach Wall Tapestry Memorial to the six million Torah scholl and the Haftorah Schroll Murano glass sculpture of Moses in Chapel entry 1. Jerusalem Stone Jerusalem Stone is indigenous to the Israeli city and is rare in the United States. More than 400 square meters of Jerusalem Stone are used in, and around. Temple Beth Sholom. It is incorporated into the Temple?s exterior design, its decorative columns, the base surrounding the Burning Bush and the entry sign. 2. The Burning Bush The Burning Bush is located in the middle of the circular driveway at the entrance to the synagogue. It stands 13 feet high and is made of steel and bronze. The flames are composed of 13 forms made from Hebrew letters in the names ascribed to G-d in the Torah. David Gluck sculpted the piece to a design conceived by Eric Ray, art director of the University of Judism. It was donated to the Temple in 1980. The Burning Bush design, according to the artist, ?symbolizes the Jewish people who were ?not consumed? in the Holocaust and who have found a new life in the United States and Israel.? 3. Mahogany Doors The 14 foot mahogany doors at the entrance of the synagogue and the stained glass beside them, was designed by Eric Ray. The doors were carved by Josef Pelzig and Albert Allwelt crafted the stained glass. It would be impossible to duplicate the doors today because of their size and magnitude. The current import laws regarding Philippine Mahogany make this natural resource very difficult to obtain. The verbiage on the doors is an exact transliteration of the 100.4 Psalm, ?Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.? 4. Mosaic A mosaic interpretation of images conveying the practice of Judaism has been installed in the main entry hall directly under a tall rotunda. Created by renowned artist Jonathan Mandell, it symbolizes ?imagery of practice of rituals and adherence to its ideals, he explains and includes symbolic images such as the lion and the lamb, Star of David, a shofar and a dove. The 10-foot circular work of marble tiles is meant to be experienced both by touch and sight. 5. Holocaust Memorial The Holocaust Memorial designed by David Klass has been conceived to be a simple memorial tablet, a bronze plaque to remember those who perished in the Holocaust. Out of a darked surface the names of some of the many towns that have become tragically infamous in our people?s history have been carved into the surface. In the center we ask ZACHOR, To Remember. Below the towns are six memorial lamps to honor the six million. 6. Torah and Haftorah from the Holocaust The Torah and Haftorah from the Holocaust were found in Czechoslovakia after WWII. These are a memorial to the vanished communities which once treasured them. The Torah has bullet holes and bullets encased within. The Haftorah is one of only four that were rescued. 7. The Arc Doors Martin Jacobson is a synagogue designer and consultant. He created the design for Temple Beth Sholom?s Ark that is 28 feet high and contains acrylic shelves that seem to be floating. They will hold the Temple?s Torahs. Mr. Jacobson also designed the Bimah furniture. 8. The Ner Tamid Stephen Canneto of Columbus, Ohio designed the Ner Tamid (eternal light) that hangs in the Main Sanctuary, above the Ark. Inspired by the pillar of fire and smoke that led our people through the desert, Mr. Canneto named his sculpture, ?Spirit of Life.? Spiraling ribbons of stainless and bronze evoke a column of smoke. Nestled within is the eternal flame, made of copper and bronze. 9. Mizrach Wall The 28 foot wall of marble borders both sides of the Ark in the Main Sanctuary of Temple Beth Sholom. Attached to the wall, on either side of the Ark, are the Ten Commandments. 10. The Stained Glass Windows The 16 stained glass windows, which frame the Main Sanctuary, were designed and created by local artist and Emeritus Professor of Art at UNLV Rita Deanin Abbey. Each window measures 10? x 2?. They contain approximately 7,000 pieces of cut glass in 80 different colors. According to the artist, ?The abstract compositions of the stained glass windows become the miracle of light entering the soul directly. The constant movement of the art, emphasizes light, mediation, spiritual reflection and growth.? The east windows state, ?Then will break forth as down your light and your worth will grow quickly and your justice will go before you.? Isaiah, Chapter 58: Verse 8. The north windows say, ?Come rejoice because your light has risen and the honor of G-d?s favor is upon you,? Isaiah, Chapter 60: Verse 1. 11. Weavings A series of distinctive weavings titled ?The Journey to the Promised Land? were designed and executed by Jodi Kanter of Beachwood, Ohio. Depicting the journey from Egypt to the land that became Israel, two column weavings represent G-d?s guiding presence and the spirituality that came from G-d revealing himself to the people and setting forth a covenant of laws with them. The sanctity of this relationship is shown through Ms. Ranter?s piece paying homage to the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that made the exodus possible. Images of water dominate the lower quarter of the weaving, recalling the sea that was parted before the fleeing children of Israel. The textured storytelling continues with images of barren desert. Reflected here are the stars and moon that directed the wanders? eyes towards heaven, and the tree of life and comforting vision of Mount Sanai in the distance. Positioned above the mountains are tablets on which G-d inscribed his laws. At the edge, is the reflective light of the promised land. 12. Murano Glass Sculpture of Moses The crystal sculpture depicts Moses descending Mt. Sinai and presenting the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel. It is located in the entry foyer to the Faye and Leon Steinberg Chapel. 13. Strauss Torah Located behind the Ark Doors, the Strauss Torah could be as much as 600 years old. It was written on goat?s skin and is much taller and heavier than a Torah written on parchment. It was taken from the shtetl shul in Bavaria, Germany by Ruth Golfarb?s parents, Lena and Herman Strauss, who hid it among their belongings as they immigrated to America. Thank you to the docents for this dedication evening Blanche Meisel Mimi Katz Marlene Silverman Dorothy Demby Esther Quisenberry Nancy Slitz David Rogers Nadolyn Karchmer Kenny Karchmer Brenda Katz Jerry Katz Ruth Goldfarb Myra Berkovits Nina Boshes Fred Glick Doris Bluth Chairman Dee Glick Senior Advisor Arlene Blut Curator Jerry Scheficik (UNLV) PRESIDENT Sandra Mallin FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Steven A. Saxe SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Mona Silverman SECRETARY Rose Raphael TREASURER Maury Jones IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jerome L. Blut BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shelley Carroll Melanie Greenberg Ellis Landau Dr. Steven Leibowitz Jim Lukasiewicz Amy C. May Mark Scheiner Elaine Steinberg Faye Steinberg Jeffrey Zucker WOMEN?S LEAGUE Sheryl Honig MEN?S LEAGUE Irwin Goldberg HONORARY BOARD MEMBER Sharon E. Sigesmund RABBI Felipe Goodman EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & PROGRAMMING Jacob Raijman EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTOR Deborah Jensen A Salute to Past Presidents Abraham J. Schur Arthur Marshall 1943-1945 1967-1968 Nate Mack Daniel Goldfarb 1945-1949 1968-1970 1977-1979 Mike Gordon 1949-1951 Mel Exber 1970-1975 Jacob Kozloff 1951-1953 Oscar B. Goodman 1975-1977 Harry C. Levy 1953-1954 Herb Kaufman 1979-1983 Lloyd Katz 1954-1955 Stuart J. Mason 1983-1984 Albert Goot 1955-1956 Jared E. Shafer 1984-1986 Justice David Zenoff 1956-1957 Gene R. Greenberg 1986-1989 Melvin S. Moss 1957-1959 Barry D. Eisen 1989-1991 Jack En traiter 1959-1963 Edward M. Bernstein 1966-1967 1991-1994 Harry Wallerstein Allen Brewster 1963-1964 1994-1995 Jerome D. Mack Jerome L. Blut 1964-1965 1995-1996 Stan Irwin Sandra Mallin 1965-1966 1996-Present d n A irye ?Aie fi/ac& o ^ y o u r fan/. 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Sigesmund Faye & Dr. Leon Steinberg Ruth & Mel Wolzinger FOUNDER William Bennett Foundation Martin Howard z?l GUARDIAN Judy & Ron Mack Priscilla Schwartz Ellen Scully BENEFACTORS Mel Exber Sandy Hanson z?l Gail & Ambassador Chic Hecht and Cecelia Hecht Appelbaum Lillian & Henry Kronberg Yvette & Ellis Landau Dawn & Steven Mack Sandra & Stanley Mallin Bernice Marion z'l Melissa & Mitchell Ogron Marcy & Dr. Steven A. Saxe Betsi & Dr. David Steinberg Sunbelt Communications Melanie & Gene Greenberg and Beverly & Jim Rogers TRUSTEE Lovee & Bob Arum Sharyn & Sidney Shirley & Sidney Chaplin Rene Feinstein Suriva & Robert Fischer Gerry Fischer Carolyn & Oscar Goodman Kolod Family Susan & Irwin Molasky Abigail & Milton Schwartz Deanne & Harold Stralser Carole & Jerry Turk PATRON Eleanor & Martin Adler Roberta Balter Arlene & Jerry Blut Ruth & Allen Brewster YBelinda & Andrew Donner Dvorak Family Joyce & Morton Galane Sheila & Jay Gershman Lilian & Ken Glicken Edythe & Irwin Goldberg Beatrice Katz & Family Dorothy & Donald Kemp Irwin Kishner Michael Mack Flora & Stuart Mason Blanche & Phillip Meisel Marci & Rob Murdock Emily & Michael Novick Rose Raphael Ilanit & Dr. Michael Saxe Julie & Mark Scheiner Dorit & Ronnie Schwartz Mona & Charles Silverman Hillari & Dr. Howard Tischler Women?s League of Temple Beth Sholom SPONSORS Evelyn Bitker z?l Rochelle & Dr. Stanton Carroll Lucia & Israel Feit Viola & Mort Goldstein Evelyn Goot Ishi Kunin Dr. Steven Leibowitz May Mushkin D?Vorre & Hal Ober Hugh Olbur & Gail Olbur z'l Lynn & Arne Rosencrantz Claire & Jared Shafer Sandra & Marvin Snyder Elaine & Irv Steinberg Steven Weiss Carol & Jeff Zucker FRIENDS Louise & Jerry Appenzeller Susan & Hilel Aronson Adele Baratz Alvin Benedict Bonnie Berkowitz Nina & Les Boshes June & Bert Colodny Susan & Esrail Dorinbaum Lee & Ed Devore Patti & Leo Frey Lauren Frumes Dee & Fred Glick Anita & Jay Goldberg Samuel Goldberg Ruth Goldberg Joel Goot Nadolyn & Kenneth Karchmer Karen & Walter Lamp Judith & Philmore Leemon Carol & Dr. Joel Lubritz Agnes Mason Allison & Jon Morvay Ressa & Dr. Gerald Niznick Jane & Dr. Ronald Ostrove Barbara & Jeff Richardson Charles Salton Faye Schulman z?l Sylvia & Howard Schwartzer Florence & Mel Shapiro Marlene Silverman Dr. Doris Soroky & Bill Soroky z?l Max Spilka Linda & Herb White Norma & Phillip Wilensky SUPPORTERS Nancy & Ed Bernstein Jill & Adam Carmer Paula & Michael Gaughan Terri Wilensky-Genzer & Robert Genzer Marlene & Maury Jones Brenda & Jerry Katz Miriam Katz Nadolyn & Kenneth Karshmer Wendy & Matthew Kraft Elaine Lewis Kathleen & Morris Menasche Barbara Schwartz & Terry Raben Evelyn Shafer Heidi & David Straus CONTRIBUTORS Mary & Dr. Barry Barkan Sam Berkley Seena & Jack Bernstein Eileen & George Brookman Roberta & Lawrence Brown Judge Seymore H. Brown z?l Mary Ann & A1 DeArmas Geraldine Dupler Bernice & Ivan Eisenberg Arlene & Bruce Familian Susan & Dr. Allan Feld Staeven Friedman Sylvia Friedland Sheryl & Stuart Honig Carole & Ed Kainen Debbie & Harold Lederer Marla & Tom Letizia Anita Lewy Norman Marsh Amy C. May & Dr. Alan Boruszak Eunice & Dr. Albert Merkin Nevada Title Bonnie & Dr. David Rogers Philip Rosenberg Charlotte & Sam Showel Linda & Alan Sklar Nolan Sklute Miriam Sharp Leslie & Dr. Roger Simon Ida & Sidney Stern Brenda & Dr. Murton Strimling Laura Sussman Drs. Ellen & David Underwood Barry Vinik & Shannon Goldsmith * In Formation HATIKVAH Lyrics: N H. Imber Music: Traditional Folktune Majestically , . rptytn m m wdj As long as a Jewish heart beats, and as long ? l, , as Jewish eyes look eastward, then our two thousand year old hope to be a free nation ni9? t< nuu; n3 in Zion and Jerusalem is not lost D?byvm }v* yTK