June Birthdays
6/12 Dot Frank
6/12 Paul Freedman
6/13 Marla Steinberg
6/14 Sophia Russell
6/16 Elliott Leader
6/16 Courtney LeBauer
6/22 Rachel Brough
6/25 Stuart Filler
6/26 Matthew Poliakoff
6/28 Stan Hyman
6/29 Bob Britanisky
Our Congregation
June Anniversaries
6/9 Marla & Hank Steinberg
6/11 Jennifer & Bob Britanisky
6/14 Karen & Robert Lyon
6/15 Shirley & Gary Koshak
6/20 Susan & Larry Abelkop
6/20 Beth & David Blumenfeld
6/23 Mary & Andrew Poliakoff
6/25 Lisa & Ray Frye
6/29 Elaine & Stanley Hyman
6/30 Karen & Roger Fuller
June Yahzeitz
6/3 Barry Goldman
6/3 Elizabeth Nabow
6/5 Mildred P. Gelburd
6/5 Herman Klausner
6/6 Hazel Abelsky
6/6 Ethel Silnutzer
6/7 Samuel Shapiro
6/7 Rose H. Smiley
6/8 Nathan W. Blumberg
6/10 Ayla Paula A. Marks
6/12 Charles Rabiner
6/13 William G. Smith
6/14 Jessica M. Horn
6/14 Samuel Robinson
6/15 Rose Cohen
6/15 Jake Lurey
6/16 Marsha Poliakoff
6/16 Minnye Weinberger
6/17 Barney Gelburd
6/17 Rhoda Koshak
6/18 Marvin Frank
6/19 Norman Bornstein
6/23 Meyer Cohen
6/24 Herbert Shapiro
6/24 Beth Weinberger
6/25 Rosa Levy
6/26 Jacob Barash
6/26 Sidney Captain
6/27 Gittel Smith
6/29 Shalom Baruch
Rabbi in the Community
Rabbi Liebowitz was part of a lecture on the Lentin Season at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
There was a retirement party held for Sue Schnieder, Water Commissioner, for which Rabbi Liebowitz was present
Book Night!
Date and time TBA
The discussion will be about the book Off the Edge, by Kelly Well. The book is available on Amazon in these formats: hardcover, audio, and kindle. Click Here to Purchase
May Birthdays
5/1 Brian Hendrickson
5/1 Rick Tanenbaum
5/2 Marilyn Litoff
5/3 Benjamin Brough
5/3 Susan Goldman
5/3 Sylvia Rex
5/7 David Blumenfeld
5/9 Andrew Poliakoff
5/9 Alane Russell
5/13 Steve Garrell
5/18 Rebecca Greenfield
5/19 Norma Mortge
5/23 Lianne Wood
5/24 Trey Swanson
5/25 Rex Russell
5/31 Robert Lyon
May Anniversaries
5/13 Roxanne & Bogdan Gheorghiu
5/17 Deede & Jeff Cohen
5/13 Irene & Junie White
5/30 Cathy & Jon Lewson
May Yahrzeits
5/1 Goldie Stemberg
5/2 Abraham Moglin
5/2 Dana S. Sachs
5/2 Irving I. Witz
5/7 Mary L. Busch
5/8 Murray Aronson
5/8 Eunice Sperling
5/10 Marion Feinstein
5/10 Solomon Silver
5/11 Phyllis Stauber
5/12 Ida Switzer
5/13 Jonathan A. Fishbein
5/13 Hyman Perlman
5/13 Andrew Teszler
5/15 Dorothy Brett 5
/15 Alvin Fox
5/17 Louis Reimer
5/17 Jack Tobin
5/18 Jack Steinberg
5/18 Unger Morris
5/20 Elizabeth Reemes
5/21 Sara Hecklin
5/21 Marthe Heymann
5/21 Fishel Steinbrock
5/23 Stephen Werner
5/24 Edith From
5/26 Harry Price
5/26 Abel Simon
5/26 Joel Spigel
5/26 Pauline Unger
5/27 Gussie Levy
5/28 David Packer
5/29 Minnie Perlman
5/30 Ernest Emory
5/30 Dr. Simon H. Smith
5/30 Pauline L. Smith
5/30 Samuel Weiner
5/31 Jerry N. Hyder
5/31 Susan R. Wise
5/31 Rabbi Max S. Stauber
In every generation a person should see themselves as if they were personally redeemed from Egypt! (Haggadah)
Dear Friends,
My father, alav Hashalom (May he rest in peace!) conducted the family seder. Though not religious he did an decent job and repressed his annoyance when his wife, my mom aleha Hashalom (May she rest in peace!) would complain at his sly attempts to skip over various parts of the traditional Haggadah. One time as my father was complaining about wanting to get on with the meal the very next words he had to read were: “and the evil son says: When do we get to eat already?” thus hoisting himself by his own petard much to the amusement of all gathered. Whatever discomfiture dear dad experienced was certainly lessened by the slivovitz that he generously imbibed dulling both his senses and leadership skills. We were aware of the progression of the seder when the yarmulke he sported would slowly but surely make its way from the back of his head to the front of his brow, a precious comical image which remains in my heart and head.
The Passover seder is unique and the many iterations of the Haggadah speak to the wonder of its messages. To name but a few creative ones:
~The Feminist Haggadah (Shechinah – the feminine Devine presence is intoned)
~The Eco Haggadah (noting our task to liberate the environment from humanity’s excesses)
~The Adoption Haggadah (for adopted children who search in vain for their biological parents— Moses was adopted!)
~The Velveteen Rabbit Haggadah (with its different mixes of new age language and customs).
~The libertarian Haggadah (Let’s not leave out those to the pollical right of the spectrum).
~The DIY Haggadah (for the creatively minded “I want my own personal stamp!”)
~The ten-minute Haggadah (for those with ADD or simply for those who have what my father called shpilchus in tuchus, ants in your pants— though that is not the exact translation – call me
if you want an exact rendering ) And many, many more!
Which do you prefer? You may not know it but the traditional Haggadah (and there are many which are claimed to be the real one) does not include Moses, this to diminish any idea of a intermediary between you and God. It is a bit shocking. It is as if you took out all the scenes with Charlton Heston in Cecil B DeMille’s
The Ten Commandments.
Of late I have come to understand the greater importance of the seven-week counting of the Omer which concludes with the holiday of Shavuot (Remembering Sinai and the giving of the Torah along with the celebration of the first fruits of the land). In some ways, they constitute one big holiday of nearly two months in length, a time of meditation and inspiration. By way of analogy, it would be like observing Rosh Hashanah and forgetting about its conclusion Yom Kippur. In this case, it is celebrating freedom without considering the impact of Torah commitment, for freedom is not an absolute but entails responsibilities.
As your Seders are upon you, I hope the precious memories of those who helped laid the foundation of your lives will come to mind. I hope as well that you will create for yourselves and for those coming after you ever new memories to be cherished.
A sissen and a kosher Passover,
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz D.D.
Ukraine Then and Now: Prophetic Poem Written by Shalom Gershtein, Rabbi Liebowitz’s Grandfather
This is poem written by Rabbi Liebowitz’s grandfather, a Hebrew poet and teacher who escaped from Ukraine over 100 years ago. This poem could have been written today.
To my teacher Joseph and to my sister-in-law Mrs. Golda with eternal love, I send this picture. It is very difficult for me to bear the sadness of my separation.
Three years we were persecuted
Like sheep devoured by wolves were our own brethren. On Ukrainian soil our brothers’ blood was spilt like water And there was no one left with any spirit.
We were petrified
For we were led like sheep to the slaughter.
Everywhere. We fled from the sword.
We were wounded, no part of our body saved…
The wood and everything in it were filled with their greatness That was a delight for our foes
Children from their fathers were lost
Since with fear they used to run to find shelter.
They were trembling, often losing their minds.
In vain was there hope.
Meanwhile, every day our brothers fell like flies in a frosty weather.
Never had our souls found rest from hard labor.
Hunger and thirst caressed our souls.
Till they dropped to the ground-our little ones.
Our cry was a cry of the poverty stricken.
Our eyes were shedding tears like…after heavy rain and dew. We raised our eyes to the mountains
And there was no one to plead for us.
‘God, you have forsaken us.’
Neighbours and friends betrayed us.
Who is there for us to turn to for help?
Who will support us in time of distress?
We left our homeland, our clothes-and little money were taken by evil folk.
And here we sit doing absolutely nothing.
And there is no work to find, not even to earn some water.
Shopkeepers give their goods on credit hoping to receive good payment later.
Everything costs manifold more.
And since there is no work we eat double as much. And we play the tune…
Why do I live, what do I need it for?
A poor man is a dead man.
Shalom Gershtein 1899-1926
