A Message from Sisterhood
Happy Passover! Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday filled with freedom, friends, and family.
Elaine Hyman
News and Announcements
A Message from Hadassah
Although we no longer have an active Hadassah Chapter in Spartanburg, we would still like to wish everyone a happy Pesach, joyous Seders, and lots of matzoh.
Best wishes to all.
Nancy Rosenberg
April Birthdays
4/6 Wills Lyon
4/8 Aviva Halley
4/9 Nancy Kleinfeld
4/9 Nancy Lyon
4/11 Sandy Nabow
4/17 Karen Greenberg
4/18 Rob Axelrod
4/20 Roger Fuller
4/20 Monika Koser
4/21 Beth Blumenfeld
4/23 Jori Falcon
4/23 Leah Keen
April Anniversaries
4/2 Juanita & Sheldon Lustgarten
4/16 Rose & Stephen Talbot
4/20 Carrie & Rick Tanenbaum
4/29 Tina & David Lyon
April Yahrzeits
4/1 Henry Vogelstein
4/3 Herschel Levy
4/3 Jack Minsky
4/3 Samuel Witz
4/7 William M. Price
4/8 Sandra Greenfield
4/8 Bella Rabinowitz
4/8 Kurt A. Stern
4/8 Joseph Taffet
4/9 Anne Schultz
4/9 Andrew Blum
4/9 Morton Mooney
4/9 Marvin Sperling
4/9 Mary Vogelstein
4/10 Irving Unger
4/11 Pearl Skolnick
4/11 Moshe Stemberg
4/12 Goldie Stemberg
4/13 Abraham Moglin
4/13 Dena S. Sachs
4/13 Irving I. Witz
4/16 Richard J. Horn
4/16 Maurice Moss
4/18 Mary L. Busch
4/19 Murray Aronson
4/19 Eunice Sperling
4/21 Marion Feinstein
4/21 Solomon Silver
4/22 Phyllis Stauber
4/23 Ida Switzer
4/24 Jonathan A. Fishbein
4/24 Hyman Perlman
4/24 Andrew Teszler
4/26 Alvin Fox
4/28 Louis Reimer
4/28 Jack Tobin
4/29 Jack Steinbrock
From the Heart with Rabbi Liebowitz
Dear Friends,
When fifth year rabbinical students learned of a new student headed for Jerusalem for their Hebrew Ulpan, they would spare no effort to play a prank on them. To wit, they would tell their junior and naive future rabbis that the Hebrew toast L’chaim –“To life!” needed to be altered to L’chayot when in the presence of ladies. (This they insisted was proper grammar as the Feminine plural in Hebrew was ot as in boat and the Masculine plural was im as in ice cream. The only problem with this false instruction was that the word L’chayot actually meant “To wild beasts!” Many an Israeli hearing that toast would respond with a perplexed look on their countenance. I have made by share of Hebrew faux pas and so I have tended to collect a few that colleagues have made from time to time.
A very funny colleague Bob Alper who sidelines as a comedian has shared a few: one he witnessed at a mixed marriage wedding officiated by a non-Jewish Judge. His honor was well meaning and so after the Jewish groom broke a glass, he smiled warmly, spread his arms, and called out, “Molotov.” The hilarity that followed was no doubt explosive.
Similarly, Rabbi Alper was caught in a sudden downpour in Haifa and raced into a nearby
store. He wanted to purchase an umbrella, “mitriah,” (in Hebrew) but mistakenly asked for “itriah.” The owner couldn’t understand why he would come into his luggage shop in search of a noodle.
Recently, a student from my Comparative Religion class answered a question about Jewish life cycle events by naming a Bar Matzah. Fortunately, he responded well to the other parts of the essay. My student rose to the occasion and got a passing grade.
Which leads me to Passover and how difficult it is to “rise to the occasion” at this time of Covid. Like many, Passover is my favorite holiday, its mix of mirth and meaning is something I treasure. By the time this message is communicated my scheduled first shot will have been administered. Not so, for many millions in our nation. Our home Seders, much to the chagrin of my wife tend to be unmanageable assemblies. Such cannot and should not be the reality this year. A more modest gathering will be shared by way of Facebook as we do on Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat. Our Haggadah speaks of the four sons, one of whom is wise. I think common sense and wisdom at this time of the pandemic should prevail. Be safe not sorry!
Wishing you a sweet and kosher Pesach
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz, D.D.
God Questions
God’s Questions
- God won’t ask what kind of car you drove but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.
- God won’t ask the square footage of your house but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
- God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.
- God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed
- God won’t ask how many material possessions you had but will ask if they dictated your life.
- God won’t ask what your highest salary was but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.
- God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.
- God won’t ask how many promotions you received but will ask how you promoted others.
- God won’t ask what your job title was but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
- God won’t ask what you did to help yourself but will ask what you did to help others.
- God won’t ask how many friends you had but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.
- God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
- God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived but will ask how you treated your neighbors.
- God won’t ask about the color of your skin but will ask about the content of your character.
- God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words but will ask how many times they didn’t.
Author Unknown
Real Talk – Embracing the Year with Hope March 2nd
How do you embrace hope when many have experienced loss on so many levels? We have lost people, physical touch with others, hugs, and handshakes. There has been the loss of jobs, businesses, livelihoods, and months of education. However, even amid the desolation of our losses, there is still HOPE!
In this session, gain insights on how to embrace hope. Find within yourself the determination and resourcefulness to carry on and live peaceful, productive lives! Join us for this powerful moderated panel discussion with influential Spartanburg clergy on maintaining hope amid challenges.
This session will take place Tuesday, March 2 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. This REAL TALK virtual forum will be geared towards families and audiences of all ages.
