Congratulations to our Rabbi in his First Pod Cast
Listen to Rabbi Yossi’s first podcast. Below is the link directly to the conversation. Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz – Safe Conversations w/Kelvin Waites
Listen to Rabbi Yossi’s first podcast. Below is the link directly to the conversation. Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz – Safe Conversations w/Kelvin Waites
“The War is over for me now, but it will always be there for the rest of my days…..Those of us that did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach others what we know and to try with what’s left of our lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life.”
Oliver Stone
Below is a list of veterans who are members of the temple.
Florida, 1961-1963, Cuban Crisis
…………………………………………………………………….
WWII, London England, Army Air Force then 6th Armored Division, Battle of the Bulge, Buchenwald
WWII China-Burma-Indian Theatre
Normandy Beach
2 years and 5 months.
Dear Friends,
Let me first express gratitude to those who were so helpful in making our High Holidays a full experience, foremost Dr. Packer for his ritual and security leadership. Along with our President Tina, his support was invaluable as was that of our little orchestra Courtney, Keith, and Stephen. Many others too numerous to identify by name were also instrumental in making the services happen.
As we begin our year with the Torah readings in Genesis, it gives us pause to consider the idea of direction and of the imperative to move forward in our lives. The sages note that the holy Torah begins with the letter Bet closed at the bottom, the top, and to the right. As such, it bids us to not dwell as much on heaven above (God’s abode) or the earth below (the afterlife) or any of the secrets of the universe. Moreover, we are to look less to the past but to focus on the future.
Some years ago, I read an article in the Wall Street journal which humorously reviewed an airline traveler headed for Oakland, CA. On the way to California, he fell asleep. Jarred by the landing he heard the announcement that they were going to head on to Auckland New Zealand which he mistakenly heard was Oakland. And so, he stayed put in his seat and fell back to sleep as the plane took off on the way to Asia. A few hours later he noticed they were flying over the water. We could imagine his surprise and of course the inconvenience it caused for it took him a day and a half and more to return to his original destination which was Oakland, California.
All of us look for direction in life, and we get confused sometimes because we’re literally asleep and at other times because we fail to hear one another offering us. We look forward to a year to which we understand well where we are heading as persons, as members of the family, and of a larger community which includes our synagogue.
Wishing all of you a wonderful year, one of new beginnings, and a journey that is both full and spiritual.
Shalom,
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz
As you read this, the Sisterhood is busy finishing preparations for the drive-thru bake sale. So many members have helped in innumerable ways to make it possible to even have a bake sale this year. We appreciate all your help and thank you to all of you who placed orders to help make this fund raiser successful. It has been a very different experience this year only being able to take pre-orders and trying to be sure we had everything ordered. We appreciate your understanding changes. This was done to protect everyone’s health. Hopefully, we can return to the historic way of holding the bake sale next year. We do still have some items available. Please contact Jan in the office for a list.
Our Sisterhood general meeting is announced in Temple Topics. We will be discussing the bake sale and would love to have your input. We had very few people able to help with the baking this year, and one suggestion has been not to continue in the future. Please join us and make your comments and suggestions on how we can improve the experience next year.
Peggy Buchman
11/4 Stephen Gordin
11/5 Carrie Liebowitz
11/5 Mary Helen Smith
11/7 Hank Steinberg
11/8 Susannah Lyon
11/16 Barbara Leddy
11/18 Jerome Falcon
11/19 Joseph McArn
11/22 Hava Liebowitz
11/24 Rose Talbot
11/29 Carrie Tanenbaum
11/1 Matthew Poliakoff
11/3 Samuel Miller
11/3 Sol Weinberger
11/7 William Schwartz
11/8 Samuel Morewitz
11/8 Rose Packer
11/9 Richard Acanfora
11/10 Louis D. Portnoy
11/11 Morris Gerber
11/11 Sylvia L. Margolis
11/11 D’vorah Price
11/12 Chava R. B. Kirshner
11/12 Arthur Lutsky
11/12 Sophia A. Pinsley
11/13 Minnie Hyman
11/14 Kate Shapiro
11/14 Saul Tanenbaum
11/15 Ruth K. Arenson
11/16 Cecilia Robinson
11/19 Gertrude List
11/19 Hy Packer
11/20 Newman Vogelstein
11/22 Ben Black
11/22 Joseph Wachter, Sr.
11/27 Max Cohen
11/29 Isadore Lazarowitz
11/29 Israel Massey
11/29 Abe Smith
11/30 David Falcon
11/30 David Nabow
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
“Where the rubber meets the road is the most important point for something, the moment of truth. An athlete can train all day, but the race is where the rubber meets the road, and they’ll know how good they really are.” (The Rock Group, Meatloaf)
Dear friends,
My one-time cab driver father would quip when I got a flat tire, “Yes, but it’s only flat on the bottom!” As we will have emerged from the High Holy Days with its hopeful promise of transformation, the time ahead is daunting. After the spoken words, the lofty expressions of hope and the promises uttered to do better the proof of its implementation is when the “rubber meets the road!”
The mood of this seasons shifts dramatically after Yom Kippur with Sukkot. It is a joyous holiday though some elements are somber. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) speaks of the transitory nature of all our lives, the impermanence of all things. “Vanities of vanities,” Kohelet declares in references the accomplishments and endeavors we cling to. A somber bit of solace is offered threaded through the pages of how living in the moment should be our ongoing concern. “To everything there is a season.” Long before Pete Seeger made those words popular through a musical offering (and don’t forget The Byrds’ version) Jews have taken heart from its imperative to find gratitude in the now.
Sukkot is a time to breathe. To take in the gifts of what is and focus less on what was and even on what will be. Not a mood of fatalism to be sure, but one of hopeful surrender, a faithful view that things may have happened and will happen for a reason. It is that realization that impels us to be more charitable as we notice those who have less for which to show gratitude. As our Thanksgiving observance of Sukkot arrives I hope that it will be one of joy for you and all your loved ones!
Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz, D.D.
Dear Congregation B’nai Israel Members,
I want to thank everyone who has made our high holidays services possible this year. Firstly, thank you to our dedicated Rabbi, who has put together the services and curated a wonderful team of musicians and vocalists. Our pianist is Steven Graff, our violinist is Courtney LaBaur, and our vocalist is Keith Jones.
Another large thank you goes to our Ritual Committee who is led by our own Dr. Mark Packer. Mark met with the Rabbi and several of our members including David Blumenfeld, Sandy Gordin, Bob Britanisky, Cheryl August, and Rex Russell to plan and offer the Aliyah’s to many of our members during this high holiday season.
Our Sisterhood deserves a huge thank you for the beautiful Oneg provided during Rosh Hashanah.
I would also like to thank Susan Abelkop for planning the Yom Kippur Break-Fast for us. The cost for Break-Fast is $10.00 per adult, $5.00 children 6- 10 years, under 5 is free. If you have not RSVP’d for Break-Fast, please do so.
The gorgeous flowers for our services during this High Holy Day season are in memory of Seymour “Speedy” and Marion Feinstein. They are given by their family: Lori and Rob Axelrod, Sandi and Gerald Friedman, and Sheree and David Kanter and Families.
Jan Stribling our incredibly talented secretary deserves a tremendous thank you for all the secretarial and organizational tasks that are taken care of behind the scenes each day and especially during high holy days.
Sharon Packer has been instrumental in taking care of our Facebook and social media presence. The board and I appreciate her time and expertise.
I would like to thank Avi Liebowitz for his technical advice so we can continue to be a presence each week on Facebook Live.
My message this month is brought to you by the Letter “B”. When I was thinking about what to write, the letter B kept coming up in my thoughts. I am not sure why. After thought and reflection I realized that two of my Temple Topic messages from this year were written with B’s in mind.
In February of this year, I wrote about becoming a human being. Yes, I know, we are all human beings. However, are you really a human being or a human doing? To be honest, I find I am a human doing, rushing around to complete the next item on my “to do” list so it can go on my “ta da” list. Then when I do have free time, I find I am looking for ways to be entertained by doing something like watching a movie, reading, or stitching on a needlepoint canvas. When am I ever just being – being still and reflecting – very seldom. However, I am grateful for my religion and Synagogue. Our beautiful Temple gives us a sanctuary to be a human being. Being still, being reflective, and just being. I hope you find when you are here or tuning in to our Facebook Live each week, you find a way to go from a human doing to a human being.
As I just mentioned, our beautiful Temple gives us a place to just be; it requires another type of “B” to thrive. It takes worker bees similar to a honeybee hive. When I was a teenager, my father took up bee keeping. In March of this year, I wrote about his hobby in Temple Topics. When my father went about setting up his hives I read and observed along with him. Honey- bees it turns out are very interesting creatures. I learned several life lessons from bee keeping, not just how to avoid being stung in life.
Learning about and watching bees taught me several life lessons.
I learned the importance of working well with others. Every bee has a job, and if each bee does their job and cooperates the hive thrives. If not, the hive dies.
I learned to plan for the future. Bees make extra honey to feed the hive during the winter; they plan ahead so their hive can continue growing.
I learned to do good without a reward in mind. Bees are selfless. If one or two scouts know where some colorful flowers are, they don’t hoard the pollen for themselves so they will look like heroes to the other bees. They go to their hive and do a wiggle dance that tells all the bees exactly where the beautiful flowers are, so they can go gather pollen, too.
Overall, bees work to create a vibrant community that is achieved through communication, planning ahead, and doing the selfless hard work necessary to thrive.
Our Temple community is much like a beehive. We are each a bee in the hive. Like bees, we need to communicate, work, plan, and cooperate to keep our Temple vibrant and growing. Selfless contributions make our Temple a wonderful place to be.
Please consider how you can be involved; be a giver of time, effort, and money. The Rabbi, board, and I are grateful for every minute you spend at our Temple. With you we can continue to grow and be strong.
Money is important. It takes an incredible amount to keep our lovely sanctuary, Sunday school, kitchen, and office functional and thriving. If you are not a member, please join. We need you to be an official part of our congregation. We have in-town and out-of-town membership options. If you are currently a member, thank you. When it comes time to donate to our Annual Fair Share campaign, perhaps increase your donation. Every cent counts and helps our hive thrive.
So, my message brought to you by the Letter B is:
For us to continue to have a place to be a human being, we need to work together like bees in a hive.
I wish you each wonderful high holidays this year. I wish you peace, love, laughter, reflection, and moments of human being.
Shana Tova
Tina Lyon
Congregation B’nai Israel, President