The Bulletin from Temple Beth Sholom, Summer (July/August) 2007

Temple Beth Sholom Bulletin Summer 2007 also provide greater security for our students, with the addition of a locked lobby area. A new school office suite will house all of the staff offices and provide one-stop- shopping for the Mallin Early Childhood Center, the Mack Religious School and the Solomon Schechter Day School. The Scully Library has been moved to a new location off the main corridor of the synagogue, right across from the Schwartz Jndaica Shop. This new location will provide adults with a beautifully appointed retreat to explore Jewish literature and reference material, while also serving as a gathering place for quiet conversations and small group activities. Finally, the renovation will add 2 new classrooms and will convert the former library and youth lounge spaces to classrooms. These four new classroom spaces will significantly ease (lie strains of our three growing schools. A new Parent Resource Center, directly across from the new school entrance, will provide a place for school parents to get together over a cup of coffee or tea, as well as a meeting room for educational programs for children and adults. I lie school entrance will be moved to the southwest door of the building. This entrance will be more centrally located within the school, allowing greater ease for student drop-off and pick-up. Iliis area will The entire renovation will be completed by the end of August, in time for the start of school on August 28. capital campaign for I he Friedman Multi- G e n e r a t i o n a 1 Pavilion continues to grow with almost $6.4 million c o m m i 11 e d to date. As a member of Temple Beth Sholom you should have received a campaign brochure in the mail. If you have not yet made a gift to this project, we need your involvement. Call Laura Sussman at 804-1333, ext. 133 to find out how you can make a contribution to our congregation's future. Phase One Construction: School Wing Renovation Almost Complete The first phase of the Friedman Pavilion Project began on June 8, immediately after school ended, with the renovation of space within the Goldberg School Wing. This renovation includes a number of enhancements to the school wing which will benefit all congregants, from school students through adults. Rabbi Deuteronomy A Lesson on Growth Rabbi Felipe Goodman The book of Deuteronomy is a review. We have come to the end of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness of Sinai, Moses knows that his last days are approaching, and so Moses wants to go over the whole story again; all the adventures and travels, the laws and the rituals, so everything he has taught will stay with these people for generations to come. In the course of retelling the story, he gives us a few more details, a few words and phrases that help us learn even more about the story of our people and all they have been through. For example, there is a review of the story of the spies. Moses recalls the episode, which we know from the book of Numbers, in which twelve spies went into the Promised Land and came back with a "mixed report" on their future prospects. Two said it was a great place, let's go. Ten said, we can't do it, and it's not such a great place anyway, let's not. And the tribes of Israel were persuaded by the ten. We know the story. In retelling the story, Moses adds something else. Moses reminds his listeners that when the people sat and sulked and said they weren't going to go forward to the Promised Land, they said: "Because God bates us, he brought us out of the land of Egypt to bring us into the wilderness to be killed by the Arnorites." God must hate us, because we are in this awful mess. This is a rather powerful statement, and a scary one. It's also very immature. It's a "kid" kind of thing to say. Where, after all, is the teenager who hasn't used the word "hate" somewhere in some interaction with a parent? It's either "I hate you," or "you hate me," or some combination of the two. We sometimes find that our instinctive response when something goes wrong is to assume someone must hate us. Most grow out of this. We begin to realize when people do not do exactly what we want them to do, or produce the precise results we hoped for, it doesn't mean that person hates us. Someone can cut me off on the highway, not because of personal animosity toward me, even though 1 might be tempted to demonstrate my hostility nonetheless. Maturity teaches us not to hate people who are not exactly as we would wish them to be, and even greater maturity helps us understand there are times when we are actually better off not getting exactly what we wanted. There are times when someone knows better than someone else, like when we are the parent, or when we are the leader who is responsible for the group, Something going wrong doesn't have to mean someone hates us. Recognizing this is very important. It cannot only make us less bitter and angry, but indeed more successful in everything we do. When our response to something that has gone wrong is to see something hateful, there is a certain rush of emotional satisfaction. At the same time there is a certain lilting of responsibility. For the child, and there is some child in all of us, the feeling that everyone is against me helps to explain why I have not successfully done, or achieved, or received, whatever I wanted. We blame someone, particularly someone far more powerful than we are-our parents, God, or our teachers, which helps us feel we never had a chance. It was all stacked against us. Nothing we could have done would have made a difference. This is a very comforting and self-assuring approach to a lot of things in life, but ultimately it is self-defeating as well. If everyone has the deck stacked against me, there is no reason to make a greater effort in the future. It isn't going to work. And there is no reason to take a careful look at the past, because it couldn't have been my fault. It was everybody else's. Only when we get past this do we have a chance of fixing it. Life is full of frustrations and roadblocks. The way past them is not to think about what everyone else is doing to frustrate me, but what I might be able to do better to achieve success. Instead of cursing the truck in front of me on the highway, I should give myself a little more time to get where I need to be, knowing t hat there are always going to be trucks out there somewhere. Instead of cursing my teacher who hates me and gives me bad grades, maybe a lit t le more studying might be a better solution to the problem. Instead of assuming that my parents hate me because they don't approve of what I am doing, maybe I ought to consider what I am doing, and maybe wit h a little more display of responsibility and maturity I can win the confidence needed to get me where 1 want to go. And so on... Religiously, this has made a critical difference in Jewish history. In fact, it touches all of history. When people blame their problems on forces they can't control, on a hateful God, for example, they don't accomplish much, as in our story. The people who said God hates us and therefore God has doomed us to die in the wilderness, were the people who never got out of the wilderness. They had their reasons for their failure, but in the end their failure was what they were stuck with. I bis is one of the main problems with paganism. If there are many gods and they are all struggling against one anot her, then it doesn't mattera lot what I do. I amjustapawn in this large cosmic struggle. I can try to please the gods, but I cannot really change my fate. It is also one of the major problems in the Arab world today. When Arab countries denounce America as the great Satan, and denounce Israel in similar terms, what they are saying is that those forces are so overwhelming and all powerful that nothing I can do will match them. Therefore I shout and scream, and terrorize, but the most I can hope for is that they will eventually go away. I cannot really control my fate in t he presence of these forces. Thus there is no self-examination and no taking of responsibility for whatever may have gone wrong. It is always someone else's fault. Jewish tradition taught it to us differently, and we will demonstrate this when we gather for Tisha B'Av. We declare a day of mourning. We recall that terrible things have happened to us. When we look at the text we see that the critical element is self-examination. The message of every Tisha B'Av text we read is t hat we are responsible. I lorrible things happened in nearly every generation of Jewish history, but we did not sit around saying: "God hates us...'" Instead we say, we made mistakes, we sinned, we abandoned the wisdom God gave us, and it is in our power to do it better and do it right. God doesn't hate us. There are people, by the way, who do, but they don't control our fate. We control our fate. We can do it better, whether we are little or big, individuals or nations. When we gather to share these texts and remember these lessons, we can emerge as stronger, more confident, more positive and hopeful people, with a better future before us. President & Executive Director Half Full & More David Steinberg, President Wliile in the midst of enjoying our summer vacations, I, as the new President of Temple Beth Sholorn, want to take this opportunity to provide you with an update 011 current and planned projects and events here at Temple Beth Sholom. On June 3, of this year, some of the Temple leadership came together for a brainstorming session on ways to improve existing programs and develop ideas for new programs in a continuing effort to make t he Temple a better place. Below are a few of the ideas we came up with ?Revise our security policy to provide sensible and practical security t hroughout our facility. This includes a pick up plan for the children from both the religious and day schools. ? Revitalize our bulletin and website with a more professional look and content including information provided by you, the members. We also plan to add a master calendar to the website. ?Phase One of the Temple renovation project is underway. Phase One construction will add two classrooms to the school wing as well as remodel the current school office space. This portion of the project, thanks to Bill Mason, Taylor Construction and Ken Scholl, will be completed prior to the start of the 2007-2008 school year. ?Revamping of the catering program. We hope to involve those of you who have experience in the hospitality and catering profession in this process. If you are interested in helping with the restructuring of this program, please contact Steve Saxe, the current chair of the Catering Committee or Laura Sussman, the Executive Director. ?We plan to hire a Program Director to facilitate programming at the Temple and create additional opportunities for you to gather with and meet other temple members for social, cultural and educational activities. ?Jeff Michelman, as I ligh I loly Days Chairman, is doing a great job in organizing and coordinating the planning involved with the High Holy Days. If you have questions about the I ligh I loly Days or tickets please contact Jeff or Laura Sussman for more information. While summer is t ypically a slow time for the Temple, you can see that we are still busy planning for the Temple's future. The many events, both religious and secular at Temple Beth Sholom represent the dedication of many sincere and wonderful individuals. It is only with working together that we can continue As a new president and as a human being, I'm sure I will make mistakes along the way, but as we start our preparation for the I ligh Holy Days and Yom Kippur. I ask for your patience and tolerance. I assure you that I do my best to improve and better our Temple Beth Sholom. Enjoy the rest of your summei r i High Holy Days Preparation Laura Sussman, Executive Director The I ligh I loly Days begin with Rosh I lashanah on Wednesday evening, September 12. This time of year is always a high point for me, as 1 have an opportunity to speak with most of our congregants through the High I loly Days registration process. Between now and September 12 a lot of planning and behind-the-scenes work will be taking place at the Temple to ensure that your experience is positive and uplifting, and we need your help. There are a few things that you can do to help with our High Holy Days preparation. ? Bring or send in your 1 ligh Holy Days registration material as soon as possible. Registering early not only allows you to cheek that task off your to-do list, hut also allows the office staff to process your registration and renewal information before the craziness of the last-minute rush. ? Be sure you have a parking sticker or tag on your car. Remember, only cars with a TBS parking tag will be permitted to park in our lot during the I ligh 1 loly Days. ? Volunteer to be a greeter during one of the High Holy Days services. It is a great way to meet your fellow congregants and greet your old friends. ? Make a Kol Nidre pledge before the evening of Kol Nidre and encourage other congregants to do the same. Kol Nidre is the Temple's largest annual fundraiser. The funds raised help with all aspects of Temple operation. Please send back your yellow pledge card by August 24th so that your name will be included in the Kol Nidre book. In addition, you can provide even more help by making calls to other congregants to secure their support. We will be having a number of c alling events prior to the I ligh I loly Days and would love your involvement. Please call me if you can make a few calls. continued on page 4 Friedman Pavilion continued from page 3 ?Call or stop by the office if you have any questions about the new seating policy or any aspect of the I ligh I loly Days. We know that any type of change is challenging, especially when the change occurs after many years of doing something the same way. We had to make a change to our sealing so that every congregant would be assured a seat for the I ligh I loly Days. We also believe that the addition of open seating will bring the congregation closer to the activity of the service. Based on the feedback I've received so far. we have a number of people who are very happy with the open seating and some that are upset. Our committees have worked hard to try to find the best solution to accommodate our growing congregation with a limited number of seats. I will be sharing any comments and/or suggestions I receive with the committee to aid in planning for next year. If you have a comment to share, please let me know. While you are reading this Bulletin, why not take a few minutes and follow up on some of the suggestions above. I hope you have a wonderful summer and look forward to hearing from you as we approach the 1 ligh I loly Days. Donor Spotlight: Blanche and Phil Meisel Blanche was born and raised in Chicago in a historic neighborhood that housed the reborn synagogues of Eastern Europe's towns and cities. Phil was born and raised in the small upstate New York town of Amsterdam, where there was one synagogue. Both studied in the traditional religious school of the time and the families were active members of their synagogue. Judaism was always an important part of their lives. Blanche and Phil met at the University of Illinois where he was an Economics graduate student and a chemistry teacher and she was a Foods and Nutrition major. They married in 1949 and moved to Syracuse, New York where he continued his PhD studies and she was a dietitian. Job opportunities brought the couple to Washington, DC and then to New Jersey. Phil commuted into New York City and Blanche had become the morn of two sons. When the third son was born, Phil used his entrepreneurial and technical skills to form a specialty chemical company which evolved into a major diversified enterprise. With the birth of the fourth son Phil also became involved principle in a major investment banking firm. Always living in a "new place with no relat ives in the area, and with four young children to raise, it was the synagogue that was central to their life and the education of their children. Blanche involved herself in the Sisterhood and became it's President; climbing the ladder as President of the Northern New Jersey Branch and eventually as a Vice President of the International Board of the Women's League for Conservative Judaism. Phil supported all her activities and became involved as the School Board Chairman for the synagogue. Later events found Blanche as the Patron Chair of the Torah Fund Campaign connected with the Jewish Theological Seminary where she is still much involved. Willi family, now increased to four daughters-in-law and 10 grandchildren, community and synagogue remains a central theme even with their semi-retirement move to Las Vegas in 1998. Blanche served as President of the Women's League of Temple Beth Sholom and is now an elected TBS Board member. She serves on the JCC Board and the Las Vegas Art Museum Executive Board, and as a docent and their Volunteer Coordinator. In addition, both are active in AIPAC and are founders of the Solomon Schechter Day School. Involvement in excellent Jewish education in America and in Israel is an important component of their lives. The Meisels strongly feel that Jewish education, at all levels, is an important key to Jewish identity, enrichment, stability, and life in our times and in the future. This is why they are proud to be supporters of the Capital Campaign at Beth Sholom and the vision it offers. Temple News Men's Club News By Harvey Gitel The final meeting of the year brought Men's Club into the early years of space travel. We thank Ivan Sandler for his presentation covering his experiences at NASA . The Men's Club concluded the year with more member's than ever before. We look forward to the New Year to bring even more men into the brotherhood. Due's statements have been mailed out. If you misplaced I he statement simply send your name and email to the TBS office along with your $36 check. We regret (hat our esteemed President, Marlowe Mogill, has stepped down. It will be difficult replacing our resident sage, cook, bottle washer and humorist. We look forward to our first meeting in October to officially thank him for his efforts. We extend our wishes to the entire TBS family ?may this year bring health, peace and good fortune to all. Women's League News by Kim Mernar This past year has been a great and rewarding experience for me as Women's League President. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with some of the most kind, committed, intelligent and giving women of our Temple. Their dedication to supporting our Women's I .eague and thereby showing their commitment to being a true arm of lemple Beth Sholom has been seen by how we stepped up to the plate whenever the need arised. We took on catering of the Friday night Oneg in the blink of an eye and helped to prepare lunches for the children in the school. We do this as a labor of love and to help the Temple financially. We are also catering the Kiddush for liar and Bat Mitzvah events and sponsored Onegs. Temple once again receives the benefit through our donations. Our Women's League has been very proud to support several institutions this past year through our fundraising efforts. We have donated to the JFSA food pantry and also to their toy drive. We also donated to our Masorti sisters in Israel and our own PSW Region. It made our spirits soar to send an Israeli child to camp to escape the war. if only for a short time. By creating a Scholarship in Audrey Merkin's memory that is administered through the Women's League we were able to raise funds to send a child to Poland and Israel for the March of the I jiving. We have raised funds for Torah Fund that benefit the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and personally congratulated the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Students through a blessing for their ordination. The Torah Fund also benefits the Jewish Theological Seminary, which incorporates 4 graduate schools and an undergraduate program connected with Columbia University. Torah Fund benefits the Schechter Institute for Jewish Rabbinic graduation and education in Israel and the Seminario Rabbinico in Buenos Aires. Last but not least, we were able to support both our own Schechter School and our Temple by doing ads for both of their galas and attending these wonderful events. In addition we gave the Temple a donation of $1 (),()()() and the Solomon Schechter School a donation of $5,000. It is only through the efforts of our wonderful Temple family that these things have been made possible. Your support of our fundraisers makes this happen. Please help us and take the time to fill out your Honey forms that were enclosed with your High I loliday packets. Send honey to your friends to wish them a "Sweet New Year!" There is only a $10 charge and it is a great fundraiser for us!! Honey will also be available in our gift shop. When you have a need for that special gift for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding, or graduation?please shop "at home" in your Judaica shop and please remember that it means not only supporting your Women's League, but supporting our Temple, our community, and our beloved state of Israel as well. Last, but not least, PLEASE do something good for yourself and become part of this wonderful group of women who really can and do make a difference! Send in your membership forms today-you'll be glad you did!! Wishing you all a very Sweet New Year Temple Beth Sholom Hosts Bagel Brunches The leadership of Temple Beth Sholom invites current and prospective members to a number of upcoming Sunday morning Bagel Brunches. According to Membership Committee Co-Chairpersons, Ellen Ploesch and Ed Kainen, "We want to provide Jews in the community an opportunity to learn about Temple Beth Sholom in a warm, informal atmosphere. These Bagel Brunches are open to anyone interested in finding out about Temple Beth Sholom's many programs and services, while having an opportunity to meet some of our leadership." Four Bagel Brunches have been scheduled for Sundays August 19, August 26, September 2 and September 9. The Bagel Brunches will begin at 9:30 AM, immediately after morning Shacharit minyan. The Sunday morning Shacharit minyan begins at 9:00 AM in the Steinberg Chapel and is open to all members of the community. All congregants are invited to attend and are encouraged to pass on an invitation to friends and family who may be interested in exploring Temple Beth Sholom for their spiritual, religious, educational and social needs. Please call Myrna I fills at 804-1333, ext. 100 to reserve your spot for a Bagel Brunch. Education Construction I las Begun! With the building a little less full during the summer, construction of The Schechter website is the perfect first stop for new and returning families looking for the latest information about the school. Religious School & Midrasha Here in the education office, we are very busy preparing for the coming year of Religious School! We are excited to int roduce some new faculty, who will be joining our terrific group of returning teachers: ?Elizabeth Corlin, a Judaic studies teacher at Hebrew .Academy, will be teaching our Kitah Zayin (seventh grade) on Mondays and Wednesdays ?Ezra Meppen is returning to TBS to teach Kitah Zayin on Sundays ?Sari Dennis will be joining our staff to teach Kitah Bet (second grade). Registration is moving along, so if you haven't done so already, be sure to get your paperwork filled out soon, as some tracks are coming close to filling up. This year, we will be starting our Sunday Mornings with a school - wide tefillah session in the sanctuary, led by Ezra Meppen, in order to involve all of our students in a prayer experience on a weekly basis. We have a lot of exciting programs and activities in store for Midrasha, as well. We will be meeting again on Sundays from 1 -3 pm, kicking off Sunday, September 16th. We will be J o n Ylitzmacher D i r e c t o r of (Education Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas Solomon Schechter Busy Planning for Successful 2007-2008 The Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas is hard at work planning for what is shaping up to be a tremendously exciting 2007-2008 school year. In four short years the SSDS-LV will have gone from six to fourteen to forty-six to SEVENTY students! The highly qualified and dynamic faculty has been hired and is hard at work in various professional development activities. New General Studies Teachers are receiving training in the school's rigorous curriculum while new Jewish Studies Teachers are receiving training in the school's unique Hebrew immersion program. Solomon Schechter is committed to inculcating a love of learning in its students and its faculty and staff serves as standout role models through t heir own continuing education. the new Friedman Multigenerational Pavilion - future home of the SSDS-LV is underway. Temporary offices have been set up in preschool classrooms and business continues as normal, although slightly more noisy! Parents and prospective parents are welcome to drop by during normal business hours. Schechter I .aunches New Website Check out the fully redesigned Schechter website at www.ssds-lv. org. Now fully up and running, the site features: ? Downloadable Admissions Materials ? Synchronized School Calendar w/Microsoft Outlook ?Updated Menus ?Complete Curriculum ?Parent Organization Pages ? Recent School ?Newsletters Much, much more! Yonina S c h n e e Assistant Religious School D i r e c t o r Education The Sandra & Stanley Mallin Early Giikhood (?iier delving into Tikkun Olam activities, as well as subjects like Israeli culture and politics, text study, Jewish ethics and values, and anti-Semitism. We will join our friends from USY to celebrate the first day of school on August '27th with an evening at the Golden Spoon aJong with special teen guests from Israel. Watch for a flyer and registration packet in the mail, or pick one up in the Temple or School Office. Adult Education Check out the new Adult Education brochure coming soon in a mailing and on the "blue" table at services. Brochures are also available in the Synagogue and School Offices. Old favorites like the Rabbi's Parashat Ha'Shavua class, Schechter Parent University, Beginning Hebrew Reading I & II will be joined with new offerings like the Cantor's Beginning Prayer and Trope classes as well as a Book Club for Religious School Parents led by RS Principal, Yonina Schnee. USY We are looking forward to another great year of USY events! We have a new USY Board ready to plan exciting activities for all youth in 4th -12th grades. Our 2007-2008 USY board includes: Brianna Kirsh - President Brooke Mitchell - VP of Programming Jessica Zwerg - New Member/ Kadima Gabriella Tscholl - SATO VP Josh Snipper ? Israeli Affairs / Religious Educator Bebe Hershkovitz Communications VP is designed as a wake-up call for us to count our blessings and to reflect on those things we would like to improve in ourselves and in (he world around us in the new year. The children anxiously await the Rabbi's visit to hear him blow the shofar. Cantor Daniel is also excited to begin teaching the children Jewish holiday songs. During the 1 ligli I loly Days we provide fantastic programming for your young children, 18 months through pre- Kindergarten, including exciting arts and crafts projects, holiday songs and .Already in the works for is our back to pool party, Golden I wish you and your families "Shanah I ova", a Sweet New Year! Jennifer Zukowski ?arly Childhood Director 17 A/ 18 Av JL SSDS & Preschool Uniform Sale 3:00 pm 21 A/ 7 23 A/ 24 Av o Q 25 AV / Bereavement Group 10 am J Cantor's Qub 4:00 pm 1 3 29 A/ 1 4 30 Av 1 Elul 1 6 2 Elul Bereavement Group 10 am cantor s ciun 4:00 pm 5 Elul 1 9 20 6 Elul 21 7 Elul 23 9 Elul Bagel Brunches 9:30 am Bereavement Group 10 am LDor VDor 10:30 pm Cantor's Club 4:00 pm 12 Elul Z Q 27 13 Elul 28 14 Elul .5 Elul 30 16 Elul Bagel Brunches 9:30 am Bereavement Group 10 am Calendar SATURDAY Special Events High Holiday Registration Continues through August 24. Nbn-Ihurs 8:30 am - 5:00 pm &Friday, 8:30 am-3:00 For questions concerning the High Holidays, please call Julie atext 103. ?&A Bagel Brunches August 19,26, Sept 2 &9 f I 9:30 am Hie Membership Committee will be hosting four Sunday morning Bagel Brunches for current m ^ and prospective congregants. Please RSVP to the brunch of your choice by calling M/ma at ext. 100. I f f r a P B i E . J The Sandra and Stanley Millin Early Childhood Center &Sofomon Schechter Day School of Las \fegas Now Registering for Fall 2007-2008 LDor VDor \folunteeis Needed Tuesday, August 21 B'nai Mitzvah Lexie Smith will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, August 4, 2007. Lexie will be entering the eighth grade at Fertitta Junior High School (his fall. Lexie has a creative mind and artistic eye, both of which go hand in hand with her love of fashion. She is also a music lover who has participated in her school choir and is a piano student. Lexie's other interests include swimming, reading and drawing. Ijexie has a bubbly, enthusiastic personality and endless energy. She is always a lot of fun to be around. Lexie has worked hard to complete her Bat Mitzvah education and she is eagerly looking forward to being called to the Torah. I ler family is very proud of all of her accomplishments. Amanda Marks will be called (he Torah August 25, 2007. A High Honor Roll Student at The Meadows School, Amanda's passions are reading and writing , yet she has also excelled in other areas. After playing the fiddler in Temple Beth Sholom's 1999 "traveling" production of FIDDLER ON I I BE ROOF, Amanda was cast in sever al Actors Repertory Theater shows, including SOUND OF MUSIC, ANNIE and WIZARD OF OZ. She has also performed in the Nevada Thespian Society's production of SLUSSICAL, at the Boulder City Chautauqua Festival as Amelia Earhart and in several other productions. This past fall, Amanda shared the prestigious I .any Lott Acting Award at the Utah Shakespearean Festival's Middle and I ligh School competition for her rendition as a character from MACBETI I. Although her music taste tends toward alternative rock. Amanda still plays violin with The Meadows Strings Ensemble and for several years played with the I .as Vegas Yout h Orchestra and Nevada School of The Arts. Amanda sings with The Meadows Middle School Choir, and has been a member of (he University Children's Chorale for four years, with whom she performed with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Four years ago, Amanda began fencing, and in 2006 was named the Pacific Coast Foil Fencer of The Year, also winning Vegas Cup in foil in 2004,2005 and 2006. Last year, she won the Vegas Cup in saber as well and more recently earned bronze medals in saber at the 2007 Pacific Coast Super Youth Regional in Pasadena, California .This summer Amanda fenced at Summer Nationals in Miami and, in her age group, is now ranked eleven nationally in saber. Amanda loves animals and attends horse back riding camp every summer. For her Bat Mitzvah project, Amanda has been volunteering at the Nevada A.S.PCA. helping with animal shelter projects and adoptions. Parents Iris Fieldman Marks and Dan Marks, Grandparents Harriet Fieldman, Florence and Herbert Marks and aunts, uncles and cousins from New York to California are looking forward to hearing how this volunteer project relates to her Torah and I laftorah portions when Amanda becomes a Bat Mitzvah. L'Dor V'Dor Temple Belli Sholom's senior outreach program, L'Dor V'Dor, continues to bring hundreds of homebound seniors together to celebrate the Jewish I lolidays and allows the seniors to make new fri