UT Bulletin December 2010

8/8/2019 UT Bulletin December 2010

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SCHEDULE OF SERVICESFOR DECEMBER

SHABBAT MIKEITZ 3 Friday Evening 6:15 PM

Shabbat Chanukah Celebration (Please note time.) The Religious School and Adult Choir will participate

Dinner to follow

4 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM Shabbat Chanukah Morning Service

Conversion ceremony for Igor Shkubel

Torah: Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah: Zekhariah 4-1:7

SHABBAT VAYIGASH10 Friday Evening 6:30 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat

11 Saturday Morning 10:30 AM Torah: Genesis 44:18 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28

SHABBAT VAYECHI17 Friday Evening

Tot Shabbat 5 PM Kabbalat Shabbat6:15 PM

18 Saturday Morning 10:30 AMShabbat Morning Service

Torah: Genesis 47:28-50:26 Haftarah: I Kings 2:1-12

SHABBAT SHEMOT24 Friday Evening 8:00 PM

Late Shabbat

25 Saturday Morning 10:30 AMShabbat Morning Service

Torah: Exodus 1:1-6:1 Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23

SHABBAT VAEIRA31 Friday Evening 6:30 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat

JAN 1 Saturday Morning 10:30 AMShabbat Morning Service

Torah: Exodus 6:2-9:35 Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21

The Bulletin Union Temple of Brooklyn

Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism

DECEMBER 2010 KISLEV-TEVET 5771 Vol. 162, No 4

BIKKUR HOLIM(visiting the sick)

TRAINING SESSIONSunday morning

December 12th at

10:00 AMSee page 4 for details

CELEBRATE SHABBAT/

CHANUKAH AT UNION TEMPLE See page 6 for details!


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Rabbis Message

Do Not Stand Idly By Lo taamod al dam reiecha. . . . Do not stand idly by the blood of yourneighbor. So says the Book of Leviticus, which we read every year on theafternoon of Yom Kippur in the Holiness Code. Our Torah teaches usthat when we have knowledge of innocent people being hurt, we cannotstand by and do nothing.

Protecting the LGBT Community. . . . The rash of suicides among gay, les-bian, bisexual and transgender youth in the past few months has starkly ac-centuated for us the danger that this community is in. Inner personal con-flicts have only been exacerbated by bullying and intolerance to which gaykids are subjected all the time. As Jews, we cannot stand by and do nothing.

An online pledge of solidarity . . . . The advocacy organization Keshet ,which in Hebrew means rainbow, is headquartered in Boston. Keshet is

dedicated to full inclusion of the LGBT community in Jewish life. Keshet has endorsed and circulated anonline pledge to members of the Jewish community. I have signed this online statement as a member of theWomens Rabbinic Network. I am glad to say that our Board of Trustees formally endorsed this pledge at itsNovember meeting, and encourages all of you, our congregants, to endorse it and sign onto it as well. Thepledge itself follows, and can be accessed at: www.jewishcommunitypledge.org/

Do Not Stand Idly By: A Jewish Community Pledge to Save Lives. . . . As members of a tradition that sees each person as created in the divine image, we respond with anguishand outrage at the spate of suicides brought on by homophobic bullying and intolerance. We herebycommit to ending homophobic bullying or harassment of any kind in our synagogues, schools, organiza-tions, and communities. As a signatory, I pledge to speak out when I witness anyone being demeaned fortheir actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. I commit myself to do whatever I can to

ensure that each and every person in my community is treated with dignity and respect.

During our upcoming Festival of Lights, we will celebrate our freedom and self-assertiveness as Jews. Mayour celebration this Chanukah season move us to bring light into the corners of darkness created by bigotry,ignorance, and fear. As we remember Chanukat HaMizbeiach , the Rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem,may we rededicate ourselves to turning the darkness of bigotry and fear into the light of understanding, re-spect, and embrace. And to all, a Chag Urim Sameach - a very Happy Chanukah.

-Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman


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This year we get a nice start to December with Chanukah coming right at the beginning of the month.

Join us for Shabbat Chanukah on Friday, December 3rd . This is always one of the nicest events of the yearat the temple. Please remember, as at all services and programs at Union Temple, all of your extended family,

friends, and acquaintances are welcome.As we get into the colder and drearier months we will have many interesting programs here at the temple. Wealso are open to your suggestions for programs that you would like to have. Please contact our president,Doris Klueger, or Rabbi Goodman with your ideas.

Happy Chanukah!

-Henry Singer, Vice President

Officers Column

Stay Warm at Union Temple

Whats Next? Jewish Views of the Afterlife Adult Education Seminar2 Wednesday Evenings: December 8 & 157:309:00 PMRabbi Goodman will lead us in discussion on the historical andtheological perspectives of Jewish tradition on this question. Some of them may surprise you! We also will discuss emotional issues that driveour speculation on this topic of fascination to us all. Rabbi Goodman willaddress questions that she has been asked over the years, including:

- Will we see our loved ones again?- Do Jews believe in resurrection?- What is the real significance of saying Kaddish?- What does Judaism mean by The World To Come?- What is Sheol?- Is there a Heaven and a Hell for Jews?- Can we achieve immortality?- What does Messianic hope really mean?- Do Jews believe in reincarnation?- Do our burial and mourning practices have eschatological significance?- Does our behavior on earth bring future rewards or punishments?


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The weather outside is frightful Well, you knowwhat comes next but this December theres no reasonto hide from the weather when there are excitingevents happening with Brotherhood.

On Sunday, December 12th at 10 AM Brotherhoodand Sisterhood are cosponsoring a Bikkur Holim train-ing session to help us learn how to cope with visitingand comforting people who are ill.

On Sunday, December 19th the question of who arethose men in black hats lining Eastern Parkway at theLubavitcher headquarters, will be answered. Abe Bar-nett will lead a book discussion on the RebbesArmy: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch byaward winning journalist Sue Fishkoff. The book is a

fascinating and first hand look into the beliefs andways of the Lubavitcher Jews. "The Rebbe's Army

shows a tenacious reporter and an intellectually curi-ous person on the case. Samuel G. Freedman in theNew York Times Book Review says Fishkoff hasbrought the scatteredshlichim indelibly togetheron the page."

Even if you have not readthe book plan on attendingthis very interesting discus-sion.

Finally, a thank you toRabbi Linda Henry Good-man for leading us in aHavdalah ceremony last

month (pictured right.)-David Rapheal, Secretary

Brotherhood

Who are Those Men in the Black Hats?

As Jews, we are all obliged to perform mitzvot. TheSefer Mitzvoth Gadel lists 613 of them. Our sages tellus that it is not enough that we observe and perform

these mitzvot, but that we must do so with a willingand even a joyful heart. We all know that, with someof these commandments, that is easier said than done.For example, though we may be willing to perform themitzvah of bikkur holim (visiting the sick), many of us find the "joyful heart" part of that obligation diffi-cult to fulfill. What do we say at the bedsides of lovedones, friends, colleagues, and fellow congregants thatwill sound sincere and be helpful and uplifting? Whatcan we do that will truly bring them comfort?

Sunday, December 12th at 10 AM., Sisterhood andBrotherhood will join together to help us find the an-swers to these important, heart-wrenching questions.The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Serviceswill present a Bikkur Holim Training Session designedspecifically for Union Temple. They will teach us howto relax and be truly supportive to those who need ourcomfort and encouragement when they are ill. This isa vital program on a subject that touches all our lives,and we thank Jannette Katz for organizing it. Bring

your friends and bring your questions. Bring your ap-petites too, for, as always, delicious refreshments willbe served.

We want to thank everyone who joined Sisterhood andBrotherhood for our joint Havdalah and Rosh Chodeshreception Saturday evening, November 6th. Our spe-cial thanks to Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman for lead-ing us in a moving observance of the one-year anni-versary of the arrest of Nofrat Frankel at the Kotel. Itis exciting to know that the photographs taken of women holding the Torah will be sent to Women of the Wall. Following the service, our group moved onto enjoy November's First Saturday at the BrooklynMuseum, which featured an exhibition by Brooklynartist Fred Tomaselli, folk music by The WingdaleCommunity Singers, an electronica dance party, andan all-woman Klezmer group.

Sisterhood wishes everyone a happy Chanukah. Maythe joy of the holiday remain in our hearts throughoutthe year, and may the glow from the candles in ourmenorahs light the way to peace in our world.

-Barbara Brett, Recording Secretary

Sisterhood

Finding the Joyful Heart


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Preschool

Hatching New Plans For AutumnAutumn is full of activity at the Preschool. One of the highlights of the season is our annual chick hatching pro-

ject. Farmer Paula joined us on a Monday morning in October with Henry the rooster and Henrietta the hen.The incubator/chick nursery resided in the Preschool office. On Monday evening as I got ready to leave for the

day, I rotated the eggs and noticed that they were not at their usual warm and toasty temperature. I got on thephone immediately to Quiver Farm in Pennsylvania to report the problem and ask for help. The on-call farmersaid to place a thermometer in the incubator over night and to call in the morning. The next day, the eggs werestill cool, and so our old friend Farmer Larry stopped by on one of his many educational trips to New York schools, removed our broken incubator and replaced all of the eggs. The egg switch was not part of our usualchicken curriculum! A few days later, eleven of the twelve eggs hatched. We all loved them and petted them, fedthem and sent them back to the farm to be with their mommies and daddies. Alls well that ends well!

The other big fall event is our parent potluck dinner. As is always the case, we filled the Temple ballroom foran evening of conversation and incredible food. The Preschool students created lovely centerpieces for theevent: painted pumpkins, paper flowers in decoupage vases, and mixed media sculptures.

The other big fall event was Music All-Together. Most weeks each class has music with Yoshie in theirclassrooms. Once a month, we all join together in the big room for a school wide music class. This past monthwe were also joined byCarole Gould, the princi-pal of the ReligiousSchool. Carole visited theHummingbirds (the foursclass) and read them astory about Noah. Shealso joined us in the bigroom and helped us cele-

brate Shabbat with Yo-shie. It was wonderfulhaving Carole visit thepreschoolers; we hope tocontinue to nurture therelationship between Pre-school and ReligiousSchool with such events!

The Preschool is cur-rently offering tours andaccepting applications for

the 2011-2012 schoolyear. To schedule a tourplease either call the pre-school at 718-623-1322or e-mail us at [email protected]

-Susan Sporer, Preschool Director


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Religious School

This is What We Do As my ancestors planted for me, so do I plant for my children. (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 23a)

The Sages valued learning above all. More than 2,000 years ago, they recognized that learning connects uswith our past, secures our future and helps us to live our daily lives as ethical and moral human beings. Heres

what UT students learn on Sunday mornings...9:30-9:45 All-school havdallah ceremony . We gather in a circle to begin the day with havdalah,

the ceremony that separates Shabbat from the week. We sing the blessings over the grape juice, the sweet-smelling spices and the big braided candle.

9:45-10:45 Class time: Our curriculum focuses on Bible stories, the Jewish calendar (Hanukkahnext), God, prayer and Hebrew language.

10:45-10:55 Snack.

11-11:40 Tefillah . Our students learn the Hebrew text, melodies and meanings of the prayer service,and a devar Torah (word of Torah). Heres a favorite:

There once lived a king who loved jewels. He sent his servants and ministers far and wide to find amagic ring of which he had heard. After many years, one of his servants finds the ring in an old man's storeand brings it to the king. The ring is plain and unadorned, but for the message gam zo yaavor (this too shallpass) inscribed on it. The king finally understood the magic of the ring: it reminded him that when he was sad,or angry, or things were not going well that gam zo yaavor (this too shall pass). It reminded him too whenthings were going well to be grateful and humble for the gifts he had. Keeping this message in mind is not al-ways easy to do, but it's worth striving toward.

11:45-12:15 Class time. All students learn the Prayer of the Month (Nov.: Shema uvirkhoteha)and Word of the Week : (Nov. 10: berakha/ blessing).

12:15-12:30 Family Learning . Parents sit with their children, who review what they learned thatmorning. I also offer a Jew Q&A (fun Jewish fact). Here are two:

Who said, "Man cannot live by bread alone"? (Moses, Deuteronomy 8:3; Jesus, Matthew 4:4). What is the source of the phrase, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land..." inscribed on the Liberty Bell

in Philadelphia? (Leviticus 25:10).

-Carole Gould, Educator/Rabbinic Intern

Our Havdalah service to conclude Shabbat was followed immedi-ately by a brief Rosh Chodesh ceremony to usher in the month of Kislev. We recalled that it was just last year on Rosh Cho-desh Kislev that the Israeli medical student Nofrat Frenkel, aMasorti (Conservative) Jew, was arrested at the Western Wall asshe celebrated Rosh Chodesh with Women Of the Wall. She wasarrested for wearing a talit under her raincoat, where it was alleg-edly visible to others. We celebrated Rosh Chodesh Kislev at ourtemple, with the talit from Women Of The Wall, and by embracingthe Torah as women before the open Ark. Indeed, the Torah wasgiven to ALL Jews, and we are determined to claim it as our right-ful inheritance.

Honoring Women of the Wall


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Union Temples creative side showed itself last month when some of the Temples very tal-ented artists showcased their work at the annual Union Temple Arts and Craft Show.

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UT Shows Its Crafty Side


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Tzedakah UNION TEMPLE MEMORIAL FUNDDonated by ........................................................................ in memory of Jonathan Kurfirst and Beth Lawrence ............................................... Saul Kurfirst and Arlene LawrenceArlene Greenlinger ............................................................................ Sylvia EbnerRabbi Linda Henry Goodman ........................................................... Celia Abrams

HAPPY DAY FUNDDonated by ........................................................................ in honor of Joyce M. Charles ............................................................................... Union Temple

DR. A. STANLEY DREYFUS LECTURE FUNDDonated by ........................................................................ in memory of Hortense Hurwitz .............................................................................. Helen LenkowskyMarianne C. Dreyfus ......................................................................... Helen Lenkowsky

RABBIS DISCRETIONARY FUND

Donated byLeona Spector .................................................................................... with best wishes

REMEMBER MAZON:A Jewish Response to Hunger

Donate 3% of your food expendituresto MAZON.

Give to our MAZONtzedakah can at temple dinners.

Find out more at: www.mazon.org

STEVEN SEGALL andMARK SILVERSTEIN

on their marriagein New Hampshire

on August 25

Mazal Tov to

Maurie Bar-TuraMichael Barnett and Kaitlin BellMaria BeharRachel BergmannChristine CampbellRene ChapmanEleanor FormanAlla GerichMaria GlennAlla Godelman and Igor ShkubelRabbi Linda Henry Goodman andRabbi Stephen W. GoodmanJack and Helen GorelickElliot Greene and Amy LoewenbergAimee GreensteinStephen and Bea HanksHortense Hurwitz

Ralph JuliusDavid KaplanDoris KluegerNessa LangerJason MeyerVirginia PapperAdam Richman and Ya Yaawand-WossenSteven Rifkind and Devorah Fong-RifkindRachel SchwartzHoward and Linda SimkaHenry and Sue SingerRichard and Marlene SteinhauerMyra TattenbaumDavid UngerCharles and Sylvia WalowitzAudrey WolfeCarol Zide

Thank you for Your Yom Kippur Appeal Donation


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Union Temple suggests that its memberscontact our Funeral Director

Martin D. Kasdan of Boulevard-Riverside Chapels

1895 Flatbush AvenueBrooklyn, NY

1-800-522-0588Proudly maintaining more

than 50 years of Temple involvement

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Memorial Plaques

A memorial plaque is a lasting tribute to a loved one.If you wish more information regarding obtaining

a plaque in memory of aloved one please e-mail the temple at

[email protected] or leave a message with the temple office.

The Bulletin Union Temple of Brooklyn

17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11238( 718) 638-7600

Fax (718) 783-9151E-mail [email protected]

Website Uniontemple.orgDr. Linda Henry Goodman

Rabbi

Lauren PhillipsStudent Cantor

Shinae KimTemple Musician

Carole Gould Educator/Rabbinic Intern

Susan SporerPreschool Director

Doris KluegerPresident

Ellen Kolikoff Henry SingerJeffrey Stein

Vice Presidents

Steven SegallSecretary

Beatrice HanksTreasurer

Mike Baron

Hortense R. Hurwitz Honorary Presidents

Eleanor Forman Honorary Trustee

David Rapheal Bulletin Editor

John GolombTemple Administrator

Martin KasdanFuneral Director (800) 522-0588

Max Goldberg ................................................... December 1, 1947Elizabeth Perlo .................................................. December 2, 1948Jacob Fogel ........................................................ December 3, 1917Meyer Kasdan ................................................... December 3, 1940Bernard Van Raalte ........................................... December 5, 1908Herman L. Sherrer ............................................. December 5, 1969Jacob M. Shaffer ............................................... December 5, 1972Max Baar ........................................................... December 6, 1936Abraham L. Lippin ............................................ December 6, 1970Sol A. Liebman ................................................. December 6, 1978H. Broadman Epstein ........................................ December 6, 1997Minnie Reiss ...................................................... December 7, 1921Solomon Hamburger ......................................... December 7, 1923Harry C. Levinson ............................................. December 7, 1987Michael Dumey ................................................. December 8, 1939 Margaret Bo1ey ................................................. December 9, 1973Jacob Block ....................................... ..December 10, 1931Max Hess ......................................................... December 10, 1941Rachel Heimberger .......... .......... ........... ........... December 11, 1947Bertram Heimberger ......... ........... ........... ......... December 10, 1985Lena H. B. Lax ................................................ December 10, 1990Anita M. Mandelbaum .................................... December 11, 1947

Sarah Marienhoff ........... ........... ........... ........... . December 11, 1958Myrtle David ................................................... December 11, 1977Michael Kraus ................................................. December 13. 1930Fanny Petechsky .............................................. December 13, 1931Sylvia Hamburger ........................................... December 13, 1996Solomon Igelheimer ........................................ December 14, 1907Fannie Igelheimer .......... ........... .......... ........... .. December 14, 1930Abraham H. Frankel ........................................ December 14, 1943Alexander Davidson ........................................ December 14, 1978Bernard Bender ............................................... December 15, 1926William Meruk ................................................ December 15, 1928Mary Eilperin .................................................. December 15, 1994Harry N. Needle .............................................. December 17, 1972Alfred Newman ............................................... December 18, 1932Byrdie Hymes .................................................. December 18, 1961Gussie Epstein ................................................. December 18, 1969Kate Heller ...................................................... December 18, 1980Helen H. Bernstein .......................................... December 19, 1924Lee Ornitz ........................................................ December 19, 1996Aaron Polisar ................................................... December 20, 1969Jacob Iason ...................................................... December 21, 1946Edward Drexler ............................................... December 22, 1928Louis Schnell ................................................... December 22, 1946Esther Davidson .............................................. December 23, 1928Eva Jacobs ....................................................... December 23, 1942Rubin Rodecker ............................................... December 23, 1969Eve Freiman .................................................... December 23, 1978George Kershner.............................................. December 23. 1982Alexander Spitzer ............................................ December 24, 1941


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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

7:00 PMAdult Choir

2 11:15 AMPreschoolStarlings

3 11:30 AMPreschool RobinsShabbatChanukah

Celebration6:15 PM ServiceReligious School,

Adult ChoirDinner to follow

4 9:00 AMShabbat MorningHevre

10:30 AMShabbat

Chanukah MorningService

Conversion:Igor Shkubel

59:30 AM

Religious School11:00 AM

IntergenerationalChanukah

PartyUT / JBFCS

611:30 AM

PreschoolSparrows

6:30 PMOfficers

7 811:15 AM Preschool

Chickadees

6:45 PMAdult Choir

7:30 PMAdult Ed Seminar

911:30 AM

PreschoolHummingbirds

10

6:30 PMKabbalat Shabbat

11 9:00 AM

Shabbat MorningHevre

10:30 AMShabbat

Morning Service

129:30 AM

Religious School10:00 AM

Brotherhood/SisterhoodProgram on

Visiting the Sick,with JBFCS

13

6:00 PMBoard ofTrustees

14 15

6:45 PMAdult Choir

7:30 PMAdult Ed Seminar

16 17

5:00 PMTot Shabbat


18 9:00 AM

Shabbat MorningHevre

10:30 AMShabbat Morning

Service

199:30 AM

Religious School

10:00 AMBrotherhood Book

Breakfast

20 21 22

Adult ChoirVacation

23 24

8:00 PMLate Shabbat

25Hevre Vacation

10:30 AMShabbat Morning

Service

26No Religious School

Vacation

27

Adult ChoirVacation

30 31


December 2010 ~ Kislev-Tevet 5771

In lighting the menorah:add candles from right to left,

and light them from left to right.

Rosh ChodeshTevet

Rosh ChodeshTevet


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Union Temple of Brooklyn

17 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, NY 11238(718) [email protected]

DECEMBER 2010UNION TEMPLE OF BROOKLYN BULLETIN

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In Union Temple Building at17 Eastern Parkway

718-789-4600Ask about Special discounts for

Union Temple Members

Happy Chanukah!

CREATI VE SOLUTI ONS Copy & Design for

Direct Mail Emails Brochures Web & Print Advertising

Ellen D. Kolikof f

[email protected]

10% Off for Union Temple members& Brooklyn business owners

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UT Bulletin December 2010