The Bulletin of Congregation Ner Tamid, August 2001

Congregation Ner Tanjid ran u n5np The Reform Jewish Congegation of Las Vegas ...A Special Place to Belong August 2001 - Vol. XV No. 10 Sanford D. Akselrad Rabbi Jennifer C. Weiner Assistant Rabbi Bella Feldman Cantorial Soloist Stewart Blumenfeld President Editor 12 Av-12 Elul 5761 Monty E. Willey Executive Director Jacqueline Fleekop Education Director EoiS Bergman Preschool Director Melanie Gorman Bulletin CNT WELCOMES RABBI JENNIFER WEINER On August 1st, Rabbi Jen?nifer C. Weiner joins Con?gregation Ner Tamid as its Assistant Rabbi. The ad?dition of Rabbi Weiner means that CNT is the first congregation in Las Vegas to have two rabbis serving it?s congregation and the first to have a woman rabbi as a member of its clergy staff. Rabbi Weiner was ordained from Hebrew Union Col- lege-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1996. Prior to attending HUC-JIR, she received a bachelor?s degree in Religion and Education from Barnard College of Columbia University. In addition to spending the requisite year at the HUC-JIR cam?pus in Jerusalem during her rabbinic training, Rab- ?i Weiner also spent one year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem as an undergraduate. In her senior year at HUC-JIR, she won both the ARZA Prize in Educational Programming and the Adler Communi?ty Service Prize. Following her ordination, Rabbi Weiner served for three years as solo rabbi at Temple Sinai, a small congregation in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She then moved on to become Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Am, a somewhat larger congregation in Will- iamsville, New York. While in training, Rabbi Weiner In This Issue... served as student rabbi at congregations in Butte, Montana, Yuma, Arizona, Memphis, Tennessee, Borne, Georgia, and Dubugue, Iowa. In addition, she served on the United States Navy Chaplain Resource Board and spent one summer as a legis?lative intern at the Be igious Action Center for Re?form Judaism in Washington. Rabbi Weiner will share rabbinic duties with our Se?nior Rabbi, Rabbi Sanford Akselrad. This will en?able us to add even more programming for both youth and adults and will help assure that one of the temple's rabbis is available to our members for counseling and life cycle events under nearly any circumstance. Moreover, our two rabbis will help us maintain an even greater presence within the Las Vegas community than we already have. We will have a special Shabbat service of welcome for Rabbi Weiner on August 3rd. Please come to services and take the op?portunity to meet CNT?s newest asset up close and personal. Those of us who already know her are confident you will enjoy the experience of chatting with our vivacious, down-to-earth new rabbi.Worship Services Conducted by Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, Rabbi Jennifer Weiner, & Cantorial Soloist Bella Feldman August 3 Shabbat Service Welcoming Assistant Rabbi Weiner 7:30pm Oneg sponsored by CNT Sisterhood August 4 Torah Study 10am August 10 Shabbat Service 7:30pm Oneg sponsored by CNT Sisterhood August 11 Torah Study 10am August 17 New Member Orientation 6:45pm Invite a Friend Sundae Shabbat 7:30pm August 18 Chloe Litt Bat Mitzvah 10am Kiddush sponsored by the Litt Family Torah Study 10AM August 24 Rebecca Sheldon Bat Mitzvah 7:30pm Oneg sponsored by The Sheldon Family August 25 Andrew Glyman Bar Mitzvah 10am Torah Study 10am Kiddush sponsored by The Glyman Family August 31 Shabbat Service 7:30pm Oneg sponsored by CNT Sisterhood Rabbi Vs Messace A Warm Welcome to Rabbi Jennifer Weiner August 1st begins a new chapter in the his?tory of Congregation Ner Tamid, and in?deed in my own personal rabbinate. As we are all well aware, our Temple has contin?ued to grow dramatically over the past de?cade. From a small Congregation of under 100 families when I first came 13 years ago, we are on way to reaching 650 fami?lies. Working together with our lay lead?ers we have sought to extend my rabbinic reach. One of the most important steps was taken several years ago when we began bringing out rabbinic students from the Los Angeles branch of Hebrew Union Col- lege-JIR who have taught classes, helped to lead services, and taught in our reli?gious school. The experiment worked out beautifully, allowing us to learn from an?other rabbinic voice, and to strengthen var?ious aspects of our programming. But it was one that was also very limited. We had a different student every year and thus no continuity of experience. The student was, well a student, and therefore had not yet acquired all of the various skills of the rabbinate. And finally, the person's avail?ability was limited to two weekends a montn. Therefore, this past year a decision was made to hire a full time assistant rabbi. I want our Congregation to know how deep?ly I appreciate this decision. It recognizes not only the level of maturity of our Con?gregation and its growth, but also the re?alization that one rabbi can no longer sufficiently meet all of our Congregation's needs. Initially we had thought to hire a newly ordained student, but in the end we were extremely fortunate to have hired Rab?bi Jennifer Weiner who has already served as a rabbi for a number of years. As the accompanying article in the bulletin ex?plains, she has already had a varied and full rabbinic experience, though she still seeks to have a mentoring experience and especially to serve a Congregation in a grow?ing Jewish community. By the way, the process of hiring a rabbi is no easy task. In a time of severe rabbinic shortage, there simply are not enough rab?bis to go around. Special thanks need to go to David Stahl, chair of our rabbinic search com?mittee and its members who did a marvelous job in courting candidates and sharing their love of Congregation Ner Tamid and Las Vegas with a number of excellent prospects. Rabbi Wiener will be working very closely with me in all aspects of rabbinic service to the Con?gregation. It will be a learning experience for both of us-and for the Congregation- as we have never had a full time ordained rabbi to share in rabbinic duties. While, Rabbi Wiener will have specific areas of responsibility-youth, adult education, conversion, providing rabbin?ic support to the religious school to name but a few, her role within the Congregation will grow and be shaped over time. There will be occasions where both of us will be present as the situation warrants it. But to a certain ex?tent her role will be to provide me with some rabbinic relief and from time to time you will see only one rabbi on the bima while the other celebrates Shabbat at home. Or it may be th^^ I will be called out of town in the course my involvement in national and regional rab-~ binic associations and Rabbi Wiener will be there to support our Congregation. Or it may be that Rabbi Wiener will be off on a conclave with our youth. In other cases, she will be given full responsibility to officiate at life cy?cle events or to develop programs on her own which she will conduct, coordinate and im?plement while I will be servicing other mem?bers of our Congregation. In short, I anticipate the first six months to be an adjustment pro?cess for all of us; one which will help set a pattern of rabbinic support in the best possible way for our Congregation. I know how excited Rabbi Wiener is to come to our Congregation, and I encourage all of you to come and introduce yourselves to her over the next few weeks, providing her the same welcome, love and support that you have given me over the years. I know that she will be a wonderful addition to our Temple family. B'shalom, %ahhi Sanford SUqeCrad Congregation N e r Tamid August 2001 Temple Board Members wart Bi.umf:nfi:li> President ^Kott Stolberg VP Administration Howard Skolnick VP Ways & Means Richard Granich VP Membership Ira Spector VP Religious Activities Hilary Torchin VP Education & Youth Mindy Wadkins VP Member Activities Scott Dockswell VP Social Action Leon Marco Treasurer Lynn Sasso Secretary Esther Saltzman Trustee Jacky Rosen Trustee Robb Worth Trustee Beth Bromberg Trustee Cookie Olshein Trustee Cecilia Schafler Trustee Ira Miller Trustee Gina Polovina Trustee Doug Unger Trustee Ruth Urban Sisterhood Michael Milano Brotherhood Samantha Saltzman NTTY Sid Garber Golden Chai Drew Levy PastPresident Bob Unger Past President Jerry Gordon Past President Cal Lewis Past President Eileen Kollins Past President Kenneth Schnitzer Past President Dr. David Wasserman Past President Dr. Steve Kollins Past President Michael Cherry Past President Bernard Farrow Past President ^^3ENE KlRSHBAUM* Past President David Goldwater* Past President Rabbi Sanford Akselrae i Ex Officio Rabbi Jennifer Weiner Ex Officio ^Deceased August 2001 ESSAGi FROM OUR TEMPLE PRESIDENT This is my first column for the bulletin and I can?t help but think how fortunate I am to come into the job at such an exciting mo?ment in the life of our congregation. Think of everything that?s happening. This month, we are fortunate to be welcoming our new Assistant Rabbi, Jennifer Weiner (more on Rabbi Weiner in another article in this is?sue). The addition of Rabbi Weiner makes CNT the only synagogue in Las Vegas to have two rabbis serving its congregation and the only one to have a woman rabbi. (That?s why we call the Reform movement Progres?sive Judaism.) In addition, we are project?ing major growth in our membership over the next several years. This is based on the growth of the Jewish population of the Val?ley and the trajectory of our own recent growth. We?ve just added a kindergarten to complement our preschool and regular reli- ious school ana all the school levels are ursting at the seams. At the end of the coming school year, the Jewish Community Day School will be moving out and we will recover the space we?ve been leasing to them?and we need it. To top everything off, after a one-year-plus working effort under the leadership of Mindy Wadkins, an activity that eventually involved nearly a hundred of our members, we have in our hands a Strategic Plan that looks care?fully at the gamut of our congregational life through the next five years. The Plan lays out a vision of CNT in the areas of contin?ued vitalization of our spiritual life; of ser?vice to our present members and ensuring our continued growth; of education ana youth programs aimed at satisfying the needs of our kids, recognizing that they are our lifeline to the continuity of Judaism in Las Vegas, the U.S., and the world; of even more educational programs for our adults; and fi?nally, of the viability of our present facility and possibly a new facility as a home for the many programs and activities that are the means for achieving the goals in the other areas. In each area, the vision is accompa?nied by recommendations of practical actions aimed, at realizing that vision. All of our members will receive a copy of the Strategic Plan in the next few months. Overall, as I said at the congregational meeting in June, the atmosphere at CNT is that of a vibrant congregation full of ener?gy and optimism for the future. The same can be said for our auxiliaries, our Sister?hood, our Men?s Club, our youth groups, and Golden Chai. All of them are coming off enormously successful years and they all have plans chockfull of programs for this year. They?ll tell you about these in their own columns, but you can do your?self no greater favor in terms of temple life than joining and participating with them this year. Finally, on behalf of both myself and the whole congregation, I need to say a giant THANK YOU to Drew Levy for the past two years of service as our president. It?s a great honor to be asked by your fellow congregants to serve as president, but accepting that honor means committing a tremendous amount of your time and your emotional energy to meeting the demands of steward?ship. No one gets to see that requirement more close up than the ?next-in-line?. Drew served as a great mentor to me and, I guarantee you, an outstanding leader for us all. And while we?re at it, we all owe Debbie, Jenna and Sarah a nice thank you, too, for all the evenings they let Drew out of the house to take care of Temple busi?ness while they held down the fort at home. So, we should all look forward to another wonderful year in the life of Congregation Ner Tamid. We have a new Board with lots of new faces, a new crop of leaders being developed who will assure that CNT remains fresh and new and young even as it grows more mature. We have new programs com?ing up. We also have a new rabbi to com?plement the finest and arguably the hardest working rabbi any congregation could wish for. Thank you for according me the hon?or of being your president. I will try hard to deserve it. B?shalom? Stezuart A Special Place To Belong Over the past few months I have experienced two traumas to my physical body. You know that old saying "You have everything if you have your health.", it is so true. It is also very easy to take our bodies for granted, especially when they are functioning properly. Try diapering a baby with one arm and you'll soon be grateful for what G-d has created. Since breaking my elbow and undergoing knee surgery, I am going through a very painful journey. It seems as if I've experienced more than my fair share of physical ailments and surgeries for someone of the age of 35, but I know there are others who have also experienced such pain. I'm trying to find some kind of lesson in all of this, something I might be able to pass on to those who might also be struggling with their health. This is what I have learned. Pain is a battle. Unfortunately it is also part of the healing process. Managing day to day activities and deciding what kind of limits we must set for ourselves so as to "not overdo it", are all part of the Drocess. You feel good, you do too much, you lurt more, and then you start over again. I also relieve our emotions have a great deal to do with low we handle pain, that our perspective about things can either make the pain worse or better. Life is a series of endless lessons and it is what we do with & learn from these lessons that make us who we are. I leave you with another prayer from God Whispers. PERSPECTIVE As you travel a path toward a goal, A goal you deem worthy and essential, And you suddenly hit a wall, What you do next depends on your perspective. The wall is a challenge and you climb. The wall is failure and you dig a hold to crawl beneath. The wall is an obstacle, you bang your head Or Upon the wall there is a sign which beckons you to detour. You turn your head sharply to the left and go another way. Perspective is the eyesight of your mind. It is how you choose to look at the world, events and possibilities. I have seen lives transformed when people make the choice J To see things a different way. ? B'shalom, ?Betfa The New Torah Crowns donated by CNT Men's Club and Dr. David and Juanita Wasserman Dr. David and Juanita Wasserman, with Rabbi Akselrad CNT Men's Club members holding the Torahs with their new crowns Congregation N e r Tamid August 2001 NEW SCHOOL YEAR?NEW FACES?NEW PROGRAMS This fall parents will see a major change in our school curriculum and programming. We have re-evaluated, shifted and shuffled in order to better serve our student population. We hope to intensify the Hebrew and Judaic studies, which includes history, literature, and community holi?days and identity. Conversational Hebrew will be introduced in the religious school as well as more music and drama in the classroom. ^ Post B'na! Mitzvah program is proof that iUSt pruepa,re students for Bat and nfp MThp r ?fUr sch?01 Prepares students for ?e\ pe Confirmation Class of 2001 had 21 fsh sludy corrinlitted themselves to iheir Jew ? a^Rabbr'Akselradaon' qenrt'fer Welner We hope that this will J?Yrunday mornini Tefillah programas u lif tabllsl a more stal program. We^ as a Torah discussi Registration will be accepted on the first day of school, Sunday, September 9th, from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. At 9:30 am there will be a kick-off assembly in the sanctu- ary for students and parents. Students will then proceed to their classrooms. "An apple and honey are sweet but nothinq is as ^eet as a child's prayers to G-D and the study of Torah . (Anonymous) This will be a year of great memories and expe- nences that will have a positive impact on your children. Together we will guide them to be active, responsible Jewish adults. Shalom, Jadqe ?fke/ggv Director of Education 00 m 6oV'o0'f'^r9^03"' ? v,-r 9 200^ ^ Please note the date change!!! Correction to the June/July bulletin- Lyndsey Yahraus Makenzie Coon Douglas Brill Anthony Brill Additions TGIS Pizza Party fr IIS223 !a,V s Fun Day IS | gz2a Party 8 Fun Day TGIS Pizza Party & Fun Day A SPecia/P'oce To Belong ^ August 2001CUT ?RE#(HM1 AM? BtlMMERCARTEM Preschool The lilting sounds of little voices will once again fill the halls of CNT. The fourth year of our Preschool is about to begin. August 27th will be the first day of class. We are looking forward to another year of excitement and fun with our students ages 2 1\2- 5. The children will be studying Hebrew, Judaic, Prayers, Holidays, as well as secular subjects: numbers, letters, colors, shapes, science, social studies, and pre-reading and math skills. Our students study computer, in our own computer lab, and music all as part of our innovate curriculum. We have a dynamic well-trained staff of educators with many years of teaching experience. We have three classes and each class will have a teacher and teaching assistant. We have beautifully decorated classrooms and a well-rounded curriculum, low student\teacher ratio and an excellent staff of professionals. We are looking forward to a banner year here at the preschool. If you have any questions about the school or would like more information call me here at the preschool office (733-6292). Space is very limited and one of our classes is already full. We want to save a space for your child or grandchild. The summer will be over, and it will be time to make plans for your child?s educational needs for the school year. This is the time in their lives when they can absorb a great deal of material and their personalities are formed, let them learn and play in our safe warm, loving environment. Anna Lieberman & Ryan Moris enjoy arts and crafts Miranda Rosen at The Lied Museum Congregation N e r Tamid Kindergarten A With pride and joy our CNT full day Kindergarten program announces the beginning of o,ur second year. We are licensed by the State of Nevada to operate as a private school. Joan Albstein is a wonderful teacher, with over eight years of Kindergarten teaching experience. Our Program will run from 9am-4pm and we will have before and after care available. Our curriculum will include: Spanish, French, Computers, Hebrew, Judaica, Music, Art, Library, PE and Health as well as core curriculum subjects such as Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Reading. Space is very limited in this innovative program, and we are filling these spots quickly. If you are interested in knowing more about our program, please call the Temple office at 733-6292 and ask for Lois, our Early Education Director. Lois ?Bergman Do you enjoy working with children? Then have we got a job for you! Our Preschool is in need of qualified staff. Please call Lois Bergman at 733-6292 for more information CNT Camp Chaverim on a field trip Top, L-R Tomer Sinay, Avi Feldman, Miranda Rosen, Kevian Chacovy, Jacob Gordon, Annna Lieberman Bottom, L-R ^ Azriella Colen, Aaron Lesinsky, Q John Widmeyer August 2001 Auxiliaries ?iiiiiiiiii SuUxLod^ iiiiiiiiiii Then Sandy Stolberg came into my life. She is the woman whose shoes I will be stepping into as President. She asked me to chair a committee for Sisterhood. As it turned out, this one-woman-dynamo, had chaired this ?committee? herself prior to becoming President and there was no committee, it was just me. This was the Campership program that is now the FUN-D for Youth, a huge undertaking. Even though I moaned and groaned, I really got to know the Sisterhood board members and committee members well and gained a great deal of respect and regard for these hardworking women. I learned that Sisterhood is a mix of women of all ages and we all learn from each other. Some are career women still actively pursuing their careers, some are retired and on their second career (like me), and some are at-home moms who are doing the hardest job I ever did. Most women are balancing both work and domestic duties, others are self employed, and some are retired and pursuing a variety of interests. We have single sisters, divorced and widowed sisters and some that have been married from a few years to over fifty years. Some are new mothers and some are great-grandmothers. The age range is as enormous as the interest range. This year I hope Sisterhood can start some long range planning. Understanding our members needs and developing programming that is responsive to those needs is important to me. For example many members have asked for more spiritual programming. We are hopping to get the new Assistant Rabbi, Jennifer Weiner involved in assisting us with this goal. I am excited about serving as the Sisterhood President and have a wonderful Board. I am hoping to profile some of the board members in my monthly articles. By the time you read this article our committee chairs will have been appointed. I am sure they will be looking for committee members with some new ideas. If you are not yet a member I invite you to join this wonderful organization and work with us, so together we can continue to make a difference. Sisterhood offers some wonderful programming, fun and meaningful activities and raises funds through various activities, like the annual Chanukah Bazaar and raffle, which helps support youth activities, and special projects. Sisterhood operates the CNT gift shop and the party shop that puts on some wonderful catered functions and the Shabbat Onegs. I invite you to contact me personally at 768-8529 or e-mail me at ruth@ruth-urban-group.com to share your ideas and offer suggestions for improvement, so we can make this ?Your Sisterhood?. Shalom, Ruth Ur6an August 2001 A Special Place To Belong ^ ? \ rAs the new president of the Sisterhood of CNT, I would like to use this as an opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who might not know me, and maybe even surprise those of you who think you do. I consider myself almost a native Las Vegan, having come to Southern Nevada when I was 10 years old, 42 years ago. That makes the math easy for all of you who were wondering how old I am. I am proudly in the over 50 club, and since age is only a state of mind, I still think I am in my 20s. So now you know your new Sisterhood President is out of touch with reality. For 18 years I have been the proud wife of Andy Urban and I have been the proud mother of A.J. Urban, for 17 years. Andy was born and raised Catholic, and was even an alter boy, but stopped practicing his religion long before he met me, but he has never converted to Judiasm. We have a Jewish household and our son has been raised Jewish and has attended CNT since he was in Tot Shabbat. In fact, oftentimes Andy participated in Tot Shabbat more then me, because I frequently had work ?mitments that conflicted with the class schedule. We joined about 12 years ago because CNT welcomed us with open arms, and didn?t care that all members of the Urban household weren?t Jewish. In 1996, I had a major crisis in my life with the lingering illness of my mother and her eventual death. Even though it is inevitable and we think we are prepared, we aren?t. That was the first time I really became connected with my religion other than just celebrating holidays, occasionally going to services and participating with the religious school as a parent. I attended a bereavement group at CNT and started coming to services more regularly. Simultaneously, our family was preparing for A.J?s Bar Mitzvah a year later. I believe because of my increased involvement with CNT, I was nominated to the Board of Trustees and elected as a trustee and later as an officer. Now it doesn?t look good if the women Board members of CNT aren?t Sisterhood members, so I was strongly encouraged to join. Up to that point, I didn?t know much about Sisterhood. 1 just assumed it was for more mature women, (remember, I still think I am in my 20s) and thought I didn?t have time for it. The first year I was a member in name only. I didn?t participate as I was busy learning all my new duties as a CNT Trustee and busy with my career. Then I went to the All Women?s Seder, and I thought maybe there was something there for me, but 1 still didn?t participate much. With my family, working full time and other volunteer activities, had time, I thought. (Does any of this sound familiar?).Hi, my name is Chloe Litt. I am in the 8th grade at Cannon Middle School. I enjoy skiing and drawing. I also swim with the Clark County Sandpipers competitively. I am looking forward to my Bat Mitzvah on August 18th. I hope you can join my family and me in sharing this special moment in my life. Hi, my name is Rebecca Sheldon. I will be going into the eighth grade at Sig Rogich Middle School. I love swimming and singing. I am looking forward to celebrating my Bat Mitzvah on August 24, 2001, with my family and friends. ARZA/WDRLD UNION Short Takes From ARZA WORLD UNION ARZA/WORLD UNION SPECIAL NOTICE TO REFORM CONGREGATIONS FROM ARZA/WORLD UNION, NORTH AMERICA We are calling on you to participate in the upcoming World Zionist Organization elections, whose outcome is one of the most important WMk facing the Reform movement. Registration will begin September 1st and go until December 15th. Once you register, a voting Dallot will^ mailed to you in the early spring 2002. You MUST register in order to vote! Watch the mail from the temple for your WZO registration form, or call ARZA/WORLD UNION at (818) 702-9615 or (212) 650-4280 to have a form mailed to you. If you are interested in helping register your fellow congregants to vote, please ask for a volunteer planning packet when you call. Winning this election is essential to the future of the Reform movement in Israel, as well as recognition and respect throughout the Jewish world. ARZA/WORLD UNION, North America, the Reform movement's voice in the WZO and an affiliate of the UAHC, will be organizing this effort. Four years ago, the Reform movement, represented by ARZA, undertook an unprecedented fight to win a majority of votes in the WZO. Through a coast-to-coast grassroots effort orchestrated through ARZA, we registered tens of thousands of eligible voters. The Reform movement had never before achieved a victory like this in the WZO. We are proud of our successes, but we know there is still much work to be done. Here are the key reasons why the WZO election is important: * Today, marriages and conversions performed by our rabbis are not recognized as "legitimate" by the Israeli government. It is our sacred task to fight for our rights and for the rights of Progressive Jews in Israel. * Since the last World Zionist Congress, the annual allocation for the Reform movement in Israel has doubled, from $ 1 million to $2 million. This is a substantial amount of funding, which the Reform movement should at least maintain, and ideally increase. * The Reform movement's success last time was so impressive, the Knesset formed a committee to study our victory. A message of the strength and influence of Reform Judaism in the United States was sent by us and heard in Israel. These elections influence world Jewish policy as we build Reform Judaism in Israel and throughout the world. ? For more information, please contact your temple's ARZA/WORLD UNION Chapter Chair, your rabbi, or the ARZA/WORLD UNION regiorW office at (818)702-9615 or mandyeisner@msn.com. Congregation Ner Tamid w August 2001Shalom and Welcome A HEARTY CNT WELCOME TO THESE NEW MEMBERS: Steven and Gail Hyams joined CNT at the end of April, along with their adult daughter, Michele. Both Steven and Gail are CPAs, and they live in Hend?erson. The Hyams have only been in Las Vegas for one year, so let?s be sure they meet lots of us at services and functions in the weeks to come. Robert and Janet Byer come to CNT from California where they belonged to Temple Beth El and Center in San Pedro. Bob and Jan are retired, so we hope to get them involved very soon! (Jan has already joined the Sis?terhood.) Ilgar and Paula Hodis have ^!ved in Las Vegas for 6 years and are also retired. Ed and Paula previously belonged to Temple Beth David in Westmin?ster, CA and Beth El Congrega?tion here in Las Vegas. We are so happy that you have chosen to join us at CNT, Paula and Ed! It?s always such a pleasure to welcome the adult children of CNT members into our fold on their own. At the end of May, Robb Worth, son of Ron and Hyla Worth, became a member. Robb works in Sales and lives in Henderson. Gina Polovina is a fairly new member and is already active as a new Trustee on our Temple Board. Gina lives in Las Vegas and is Director of Government Affairs with Boyd Gaming Cor?poration. Welcome, Gina! George and Mercedes Ripps live in Kingman, Arizona and have recently joined CNT. (And some of you talk about what a schlep it is to get to Temple!) George and Mercedes have three daughters, Natalie, Court?ney, and Ashley. Mercedes is a new convert to Judaism and chose to affiliate with our con?gregation. We are so happy to welcome the Ripps to our con?gregation! NEED A BANKING CONNECTION? TRY CNT?S BANK CNT?s bank for many years has been BankWest Nevada. Over the years, BankWest has been an unfailing friend of CNT, through bad times early on, and now in our good times. Many of our congregants already bank with BankWest and express a high degree of satisfac?tion with the level of service they receive. If you are looking to establish a banking connection in town, you owe it to yourself to look into BankWest. If you do decide to go with BankWest, tell the branch manager that you are a member of Congregation Ner Tamid and that our long-time connection with the bank is Selma Bartlett, Execu?tive Vice President of BankWest Nevada. If they let Selma know that another of our congregants has begun using BankWest, that will show her and the other officers of the bank that we truly appreciate Ap excellent service they?ve provided us over the years. And if you ^Kve a chance to meet Selma?she?s at the 2850 N. Green Valley office?take it. She?s a terrific lady. Fern Jennings has lived in Las Vegas for 19 years. She is re?tired and was referred to CNT by another congregant. We hope to get to know you better soon, Fran! Andee and Corey Goldman and their two teenage daughters, Sheri and Brittany, joined CNT early in June. They have lived in Las Vegas for about 4 years and have tried all branches of Juda?ism. Those who also searched for a while before finding a home at CNT will want to make the Goldmans feel welcome, and help them get to know why CNT is a Special Place to Belong. Florence Bolatin lives in the Northwest part of Las Vegas and joined CNT in June. Flo?rence has lived in Las Vegas for about 10 years, and she is re?tired. Welcome to CNT, Flo?rence! Yiddish Lesson for August Challeh - braided egg bread eaten on most Jewish holidays, such as Shabbat. Chassen - groom. Chava - Eve. Cheder - school. Daven - pray. Dybbuk - a devil, particular?ly one that possesses a person. A Special August 2001 Place To Belong ^ 9 ? WE NEED YOUR FRIEND5 f Invite them to share an evening with you and our congregation on Friday, August 17th for an INVITE A FRIEND SHABBAT service and, of course, terrific ONEG TREATS. Rabbi Akselrad and members of the Temple Board will be available before the service to answer questions and welcome prospective mem?bers. As you know, one of the best ways to increase our membership is for our congregants to spread the word about Ner Tamid - but - a visit to our lovely building will speak volumes; therefore, have them join you so they can see for themselves the benefits of belonging to Ner Tamid. The rabbi will hold a brief introduction for our guests at 6:30 pm, and services will follow at 7:30. We hope to see you there. Suitcases For Kids Continues CNT's Social Action Committee is spor^ soring this campaign to get suitcases the children in the foster care system in Clark County. Hard and soft luggage are both