Ahavat's Nu? Newsletter for Ahavat Torah Synagogue (Las Vegas, Nev.), January 2000

AHAVAT'S NU? A Monthly Vublfcation of Ahavat Torah Synagogue Issue #14, January 2000/5760 (702) 242-2 111; Fax: (702) 242-3979 P.O. Box 370373, Las Vegas, NV 89137 Craigaudrey@worldnet.att.net ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE NEW MILLLENNIUM From the Desk of: Rabbi Craig Rosenstein, J.D. The Jew of the modem world is very differ-ent from the Jew of the Bible. In the modem world, the Jew is a hedonist and a nihilist, a philosopher and a philanderer, a bon vivant and a sophisticate, a scientist and an alchemist, a writer of popular prose and poetry, and a creator of ethical, moral and theological works of great significance. The wonder and danger of this "renaissance," is that it is not rooted in Judaism, but rather in the modem quest for nationalism, the desire to explain all the phe-nomena of the universe. The Jew who has fought the incursion of secular knowledge, now not only welcomes it, but embraces it. Professions and careers once avoided and disdained, are now suddenly considered respectable. Jews are now astronomers, mathematicians, architects, translators, finance ministers and international businessmen. Jews not only welcome Shabbat with wine and kiddush, but welcome the love of a woman whose "kisses are sweeter than wine." Jews not only welcome the new month with "Ahavat Torah (love of Torah), but welcome the great and glorious world with a love of mankind. To the modern Jew, songs now mean more than ways to express prayer, and lamentations, songs now become popular paeans to the joys and wonders of life. Yet through all this modernity, the Jews has managed to stay within the con-fines o f Judaism. This is because the Jew as always has managed to avoid being absorbed by the dominant civilization, yet becomes absorbed and engrossed in the dominant civilization's culture. The orthodox movement ignores the secular world, the conservative movement tries to explain that the sacred and the secular are but opposite sides of the same coin, and the liberal movement cries that the secu-lar and the sacred are incompatible. This healthy ten-sion has produced a golden age of Jewish scientists and philosophers. And because this healthy tension spawned a science and philosophy, the Hebrew lan-guage was now heard all over the world. The interesting notion of the Jew in the "modern" world expressed above is that it is a description of the "modern Jew" in the year 999 ce. poised on the cusp of the coming new millennium, the 2nd millennium to be sure, not 1999 and the coming of the third (continued on page 2) FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT J a c k Kaufman LOST IN LAS VEGAS Remember when you first moved to Las Ve-gas and wondered where you could find the items and services like those you remember from 'back home'? You are not alone. Just imagine how many fellow Jews are new Las Vegas residents and are seeking restaurants, services, stores, friends and a synagogue like they had 'back home'. While we can't be everything to every-body, we can offer a helping hand to those new arrivals in Las Vegas that come from your home town or area. It is always fun to play "Jewish Geography" and there is a good (continued on page 2) Calendar of Events January 4 Gala Meeting at the Rosensteins January 13 Sisterhood Meeting January 15 Havdahla and Pot Luck Sunper at the Rosensteins (RSVP Audrey at 242- 2111) January 29 Child Haven Shabbat Candle Lighting Times: Jan. 7 4:41 p.m. Jan. 14 4:48 p.m. Jan. 21 4:54 p.m. Jan. 28 5:01 p.m. Vk^X- If you plan to ob-serve Havdalah any of the following Saturday evenings, use the same can-dle lighting times and then add any where from 12 minutes to 72 minutes af-terwards to be sure of observ-ing proper sun-down times. ( P r e s i d e n t s m e s s a g e ) continued from pgl chance that you can find someone that you know. What a bet-ter way to meet and help people and introduce them to Ahavat Torah Synagogue. We would like to introduce a program of seeking unaffili-ated Jews and invite them to visit us. We will advertise for these people from specific geographic areas and invite them to join us at services or socials with the intent of introducing them to ATS. To do this, we would like to have you volunteer to be a "buddy" to anyone who might come from your home town or state. Please watch for the questionnaire, indicate where you are from and if you will be willing to assist in this program to expand our membership. What a great way to boost our membership and make friends. Who knows, you might find a long lost friend, an old flame, or rich uncle. B'Shalom Jack Kaufman Have faith wi what you believe avui r>oi*/t give up oia. the future. R a b b i ' s M e s s a g e (Continued from page one) The interesting notion of the Jew in the "modern" world expressed above is that it is a description of the "modern Jew" in the year 999 c.e. poised on the cusp of the coming new millennium, the 2nd millennium to e sure, not 1999 and the coming of the third millennium. Two Judaism's divided by 1000 years of history, yet glued together by those same forces of history. A faith not re-vealed to one individual, and a faith that would not undergo con-stant change as each individual interprets his revelation; but a faith that is complete and final in its presentation, because it is constantly presented to its people en masse. It was presented to its people today in boardrooms in New York, Los Angeles, London, Johannesburg, Lima, Moscow and Jerusalem. The spread of Jewish culture in the year 999 came courtesy of Judaism's contacts with Islam and the latent Hellenistic Greek culture reposed in Islamic libraries. The spread of Jewish culture in 1999 comes courtesy of Judaism's contacts in the early 20th century with European rationality and scholarship. The Islamic/ Hellenistic world of the 1st millennium would produce a Maimon-ides and Judah Halevi. The European world of the Renaissance, Enlightenment, Age of Reason and the 20th century will produce Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, Karl Marx, Martin Buber, Freud, Einstein, Jonas Salk and Abraham Joshua Heschel. In either case the Jewish community takes the best of the world has to offer, makes it work to the best of its advantage, and then offer the Ahavat Torah's Religious School completed its first semester in wonderful fashion. The students decorated Chanukkah gift stuffing bags that had been put together by Patti Grobestein (Cody's mom). The students also learned Chanukkah songs, including practicing the song Sevivon sof sof sof...so that they could sing it faster than Music Director Irv Weinberger could play it. The race between the kids and Irv has become a Syna-gogue tradition at the annual Chanukkah service. The students took their mid-semester "exams," which consisted of a game of Jewish baseball that Education Director Lisa Lloyd plays annually with them. They all passed with flying colors and each won many bags of fruit candles. After a well-deserved break, the students will spend time in the next semester at ML Charleston observing Tu B'Shevat, making plans for a Purim play in conjunction with a family/Purim Shabbat Service on March 17, a children's Seder (perhaps to be held together with the Religious School class at St. Elizabeth's) and the long-awaited, much anticipated trip to Los Angeles to the Museum of Tolerance, and other things, for Yom Ha-shoah and Yom Ha-atzmaut. Things will certainly be busy in the upcoming semester. finished product to the world. The wrapping of itself in the cloak of secularism affords the Jew the chance to survive in a world that at best wants to absorb us and at worst wants to destroy us. Philip Roth is fond of telling that upon any question asked of his father, the initial response was a question back, "Is it good for the Jews or bad for the Jews?" The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches us, "Vayn kol-ha-dash ta-chat ha-shah-mesh..There is nothing new beneath the sun!" There is really nothing new about Judaism and the Jewish people. This is because we move through history?we are not consumed by it We move toward a logical end of history, we march towards our destiny. Let others march to the ends of their lives and their ap-pointment with Heaven, the Jew would say. We are immortal and do not worry about heaven, because we believe that we are the products of all that came before us, and that we work to leave our good names to those who come after us, to those that will model our successes and learn from our failures and improve on both of them. We live on and on, we do not die. The Jews that lived in the year 999 are the same Jews that live today, and will be the same Jews that will be living in the year 2099 or 2199. That is because all Jews have the same goal, Jerusalem and, tikkun olam..the repair of the world." Continued on page 3 Rabbi's Message (continued from pg 2) So while it is exciting to be alive at the turn of a secular decade, century and millennium, (and incidentally I am honored to be writ-ing the last Rabbi's Roundtable of the millennium) it is equally thrilling to be living in the year 5760. In that method of dating is the secret of Judaism's triumph over death. While the Christian historian Boethius had to devise a new method of dating in the 8th century to account for the fact that there was a world of his-tory before Jesus (and in so doing, acknowledged that it was nearly 800 years before Christians even understood their impact on history), we Jews almost from the beginning have been dating the events of our history from the moment of creation. We are marching ever-forward to our appointment with our destiny. Whether you are taking time to celebrate the coming millen-nium or not take just a moment to acknowledge somewhat more mundane event, the fact that on January 1st, 2000 of the com-mon era, it is only nine-months until Erev Rosh Ha-shanah and the coming year 5761. Am I worried about what might happen in the coming millennium Not in the least since it is 239 years until the coming of a new millennium?the sixth millennium. Rabbi's Thought for the Day The Lekhivitzer Rebbe said: "The Torah begins with the word, b 'reishit which can be understood to say, "God created the world for the sake of the beginning.' All the Creator asks is that you make a beginning in the right direction." (Attributed to Chasidic sources) PRAYER FOR HEALING Pain comes in many forms. The discomfort of physical pain, the fear of emotional pain, the paralysis of spiritual pain. For all these, and more, forms of pain, this prayer of healing is of-fered: Celebrating their November wedding anniversaries are Iz and Lee Verbofsky and Sherm and Lenore Kerner totaling 103 years of wedded bliss. Judaism? A World Religion? It is not impossible to conceive of Judaism as a world religion. Consider some important turning points in world and Jewish history. In the eighth century, when Prince Vladimir of Kiev was decid-ing which religious system to adopt, it is said he met with rabbis (and actually considered Judaism) before choosing what would become Russian Or-thodoxy. How different the world and Jewish his-tory would be had Judaism been chosen? While it might seem like a ludicrous proposition, it is worth remembering that at about the same time the nearby Kuzari king and his subjects converted to Judaism. Josef I. Abramowitz Mnmpnt Magazine. Dec. 1999, pg. 34 Give ear, O Eternal, to my prayer, in heed of my plea for mercy In my time of trouble I call You, for You will answer me When pain and fatigue are my companions, Let there be room in my heard for strength When days and nights are filled with darkness, Let the light of courage find its place. Help me to endure the suffering and dissolve the fear Renew with me the calm spirit of trust and peace Baruch atah Adonai, ro-fey ha-holim..Blessed are You, God, Healer of the sick. O'mayn! IF YOU HAVE JOY IN YOUR HEART, IT Will. BE KNOWN BY THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE AHAVATO NU? Pag* 3 GET WELL AND SYMPATHY CARDS available from Ray Her-man? Call him at 233-0474. JANUARY YAHRZEITS Louis Rudnick Jan. 1 Yetta Rudnick Jan. 1 Miriam Everakes Jan. 3 David Kelman Jan. 17 Rose Gitlim Jan. 21 Rae Baskin Jan 24 Ruth Stein Jan. 25 Faye Schnitzky Jan. 25 Betty Samit Jan. 25 Alex Tauber Jan. 31 "Ha-makom y'naychem etchem b'tok sh'awr ah-vaylay m'shpahot v'chaveim u'tziyon v'yerusha-layim.. God is with us whenever and wherever needed. May God comfort you and all who mourn for family and friends, for Zion and Jerusalem. Omayn!" GET WELL WISHES TO: Ray Berman Deacon Joe Deegan Murrey Schofel Fran Schofel Lisa Lloyd Sheila Rudnick Lenny Rudnick I know we will get to the mountain, and I am not afraid of anything. Dr. Martin Luther King SCRIP * COMING SOON Talk to Fran Schofel HAPPY B.IR.TH-r>AY Jan. 1 Mark Rosensweig Jan. 2 Sol Bultz Jan. 5 Russell Fletcher Chad Goffstein Elaine Kaufman Jan. 8 Kim Wilks Jan. 10 Zadick Eskenazi Jan. 11 Holly Howard Jan. 14 Bobby Gofstein Jan. 15 Ricki Kerner Jan. 25 Craig Margolis ANNIVERSARY <yg.EETINgS Jan 11 Mindi & Sheppy Herskovic (16th) Jan. 21 Jim and Elana Appleyard (5th) Jan. 22 Mark and Sandy Scheller (16th) Jan. 22 Lew & Faith Stadtmauer (33rd) Jan. 26 Mort and Barbara Berg (8th) Jan. 29 Sally & Zadick Eskenazi (39th) ATS ROCKS AND WRAPS! Our annual flmdraising effort of gift wrapping at Borders is paying big dividends this year. As of the date of this writing, we are well ahead of last year and the busi-est days are just coming up. A big thank you to all of you who have donated your time and effort to make this project the success that it will be. A super thanks to Nancy Weinberger for making the arrangements at Borders, and a special super thanks to Kim Wilks for her efforts of coordination, seeking the people to do the wrapping, and her efforts at the wrap-ping desk covering as many shifts as time allows. B'Shalom Jack Kaufman w . ' i > f : A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU To Barbara Kenig For the wonderful donations she's given to Child Haven and to St. Elizabeth for their families in need program. SISTERHOOD SOCIAL AND BINGO GET TOGETHER Thursday. January 13. 2000 The "New Fiesta" Hotel and Casino $10.00 for Bingo Buy Your Own Dinner at Garduno's at 6:30 pm RSVP 228-5747: NANCY WEINBERGER Pag* 4 DONATIONS TO THE SYNAGOGUE Honoring her 80th Birthday Sylvia Rose (Maris Everakes Mother) from: Rabbi Craig and Audrey Rosenstein Alan and Lisa Lloyd/Jacobs Marty and Suzanne Myers 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 do-nors 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 Rosenstein, Lisa Lloyd or Elaine Kaufinan through the Synagogue office C ^ r T ) STAFFING RESOURCES Candle Lighting Members gather while Hanukah candles are lit for special family night service VOOo WOULDN'T IT BE NICE to celebrate your birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion with your Ahavat To-rah Synagogue family and friends? We also, unfortunately, should remember our loved ones who are no longer ?vith us. You can sponsor an On eg 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 Bruski, Oneg Chairperson 255-9475 LYNNE FLETCHER 1555 E. Flamingo Rd., Stc. 153 Las Vegas. NV 89119 Phone (702) 650-6515 Fax (702)650-6516 KIM W1LKS Tax Specieiist/Hnanciai Advisor Specializing in Home Appointments 43A3 N. ftancho * 132-220 Las Vegas. NV 89130 Sacurit)?s otared fhrougn Noyal All*nc? Associates, Inc. NASD and SIPC Office f7Q2*l 656-9747 Fax (702) 656-9553 Pager (800) 476-7878 RAINBOW TAX SERVICE Lew Stadtmauer MBA 6 4 8 0 6 1 2 9 Mountain #6, Las Vagas 89146 Awe. Las Vegas 89107 878-^ Fax 978-5949 AHAVATSMU? PREFERRED SUPPLIERS JD'S DESIGNS and LE BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE are the first local merchants to become preferred suppliers for the members of our synagogue. 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 congregants 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. JD'S DESIGNS 1827 WESTERN AVENUE LAS VEGAS, NV 89102 702-383-9300 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: 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) NAME: TOTAL PURCHASE: TOTAL PURCHASE: 10% DONATION: 10% DONATION: January 2000 A H A V A T T O R A H S Y N A G O G U E ? ? I I I . I . M W WE/fmfiBiiSf&St&S&S Monday Tuesda / Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday | H H M F F N V K F I SKI'S1 jaJsi'ascas^^'i'jaaSsS? [ S S I i i s i s i 1 ? I * ? ? V MARK ROSENZWEIG i , .: ^ BDAY 1 V ' z *^SOL BULTZ BDAY 3 4 ]5 7:00 PM GALA 4:30 pm - 6:0? pm MM-TTV^R- ^ RELIGIOUS MEETING @ SCHOOI. ROSENSTEIN'S ;CHAD GOFFSTEIN 1 BDAY ELAINE KAUFMAN BDAY RUSSELL FLETCHER BDAY 6 7:00 PM BOARD MEEETING @ BERG'S 7 7 J 0 PM FAMILY S E R V I C E ONEG SPONSORED BY ELAINE KAUFMAN & KIM WILKS IN HONOR OF THEIR BDAYS ? 8 KIM WILKS BDAY IF 89 1 10 DICK ESKENAZI BDAY 11 HERSKOVIC ANNIVERSARY HOLLY HOWARD BDAY 12 RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 4:30-6:00 PM 13 SISTERHOOD BOWLING & BINGO *SVP 228-5747 14 7:00 PM TOT SHABBAT 7 : 3 0 PM SHABBAT SERVICE BOEB1 SUT FSIEIN BDAY 15 HAVDALAH & POT LUCK SUPPER @ ROSENSTEIN'S - 5 : 1 5 PM - RSVP 242-2111 RICKI KERNER BDAY 16 l 17 18 19 RF.I.IGIOUS SCHOOI. 4:30-6:00 PM 20 21 7:00 PM TOT SHABBAT 7 30 PM SHABBAT SERVICE APPLEYARD ANNIVERSARY ONEG SPONSORED BY STADTMAUERS HONOR OF THEIR ANNIVERSARY 22 j SCHELLER ANNIVERSARY STADTMAUER ANNIVERSARY 23 FAMILY AFFAIR SUNDAY - TUB'SHEVAT @ MT. CHARLESTON 24 25 CRAIG MARGOLIS BDAY 26 BERG ANNIVERSARY RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 4:30-6:00 PM 27 28 7:00 PM TOT SHABBAT 7:30 PM SHABBAT SERVICE 29 1 CHILD HAVEN ESKENAZI ANNIVERSARY 30 ( 31 t t - i m ^ s 5 12 19 26 ? ...,..,, ? ? ? .' ? ? ?? ? ??.. ?: I, ? .-.. : - - ? : ; ? ? December 99 M T W T F S . 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 ^ ? ? ???..:....: '.'.'.'.. Februar> 00 5 M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 0n 21 2^ 2 2If3 2141 2755 1216 7 28 29 _ _ -:.:... . r r; .: -. : ? ^ . ? ?? ? ? ? : ? . ' Ahavat Torah Synagogue P.O. Box 370373 Las Vegas, NY 89137 Phone:(702)242-2111 Fax: (702) 242-3979 Email: Ctaigaudrey@wortdnetatt.net &3V Ahr.v'ai Tot ah SfnagOgiuc Friday Evening Shabbat Services are Held at: 7:30 pm S a i n t E l i z a b e t h Ann S e t o n C a t h o l i c Church 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive For information, please call the syna-gogue 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