Happy August Birthdays!
8/2 Ruben Falcon
8/4 Carter Smith
8/6 Joan Barnet
8/11 Sandy Smiley
8/16 Anne Graff
8/24 Thomson Halley
8/24 Mark Lurey
8/24 Tina Lyon
8/26 Kim Pickett
8/27 Daniel Falcon
8/29 Ina Minsky
8/30 Raye Frye
8/2 Ruben Falcon
8/4 Carter Smith
8/6 Joan Barnet
8/11 Sandy Smiley
8/16 Anne Graff
8/24 Thomson Halley
8/24 Mark Lurey
8/24 Tina Lyon
8/26 Kim Pickett
8/27 Daniel Falcon
8/29 Ina Minsky
8/30 Raye Frye
8/15 Alane & Rex Russell
8/16 Ina & Mike Minsky
8/19 Carter & Louis Smith
8/22 Lori & Rob Axelrod
8/25 Lianne & Dave Wood
8/29 Louise & Steve Garrell
8/31 Arden Levy & Mark Lurey
8/25 Lianne & Dave Wood
8/29 Louise & Steve Garrell
8/31 Arden Levy & Mark Lurey
Dear members,
On Friday, June 30, 2023, our Rabbi, Yossi Liebowitz, retired after 20 years of service at our Temple. This is an incredible accomplishment as
Rabbi Liebowitz has held numerous B’nai Mitzvahs, weddings, funerals,
Brown Bag Lunches, and over 1000 Friday evening services and Saturday Morning Services or Torah Talks. Wow, Rabbi, just wow! Thank you for all your time spent with us at Congregation B’nai Israel.
On Friday, June 23, 2023, our Rabbi led a wonderful service and expressed how grateful he is that he became a Rabbi. He told stories of how rewarding his career has been. If you did not attend the June 23rd service or watch it on our Temple Facebook page, I encourage you to take time to watch this service and listen to our Rabbi’s sermon. It is touching to hear the Rabbi talk of his reasons for being a Rabbi all these years.
At the end of the service, Rabbi Liebowitz was honored with a “stone” to be added to our Tree of Life at the end of our main social hall. This stone will represent how our Rabbi has been a rock for our Temple for two decades. Our Rabbi was also given a beautiful painting that will be placed in the Sunday School, along with a plaque honoring Rabbi Liebowitz. The artwork is created by Elena Kotliarker, born in Kiev, Ukraine. She studied at the Spiritual Art Academy in Ukraine. She specializes in spiritual representation through art. Elena currently lives in Israel. Kotliarker’s painting is called “Miram with Timbrel-Tanakh Story”.
Board members selected this painting because of the theme of Miriam being represented through art. As many of you are aware, our Rabbi sings the song “Miriam by the Sea” almost every Friday evening at services. It is an iconic song that will always remind our congregation of the time Rabbi Liebowitz spent with us.
The painting has many Hebrew words incorporated into the artwork. The Hebrew words include Success, Luck, Happiness, Love, and Health, all of which we wish our Rabbi as he embarks upon the next chapter of his life.
Kotliarker’s painting also includes Traditional Jewish Symbols that include a pair of birds for love and harmony, pomegranates for joy and fruitfulness, and five fishes for abundance.
Beginning July 1, this painting will be on display in the foyer of our Synagogue for the month of July. Please stop by to view it before it is added to the walls of our Sunday School Building.
If you have not had a moment to speak to our Rabbi and wish him well as he begins his retirement, please be sure to send him an email, text or even better, an old-fashioned phone call or hand-written note.
Please check our calendar for events and services throughout the summer. Even though our Rabbi has retired, there will still be fellowship and services at our Temple.
Many wishes to you for a happy and healthy summer!
Warmly,
Tina Lyon
7/9 Wanda Greenfield
7/11 Laura Filler
7/11 Mark Packer
7/11 Mauro Wilk
7/14 Susan Abelkop
7/14 Nancy Anderson
7/18 Miriam Gordin
7/20 Hannah Keen
7/21 Barbara Barnet
7/26 Cheryl August
7/29 Linda Tanenbaum
7/3 Sandy & Gary Smiley
7/3 Shannon & Steve Smiley
7/5 Ruth & Paul Friedberg
7/11 Lorraine & Joseph Wachter
7/16 Joan & Tom Barnet
7/21 Kim & John Pickett
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 Stanley Hyman
6/29 Robert Britanisky
These annual awards for excellence of character and service to humanity are given each year to two students from the graduating class (undergraduate or graduate) and to one non-student member of the University community.
Rabbi Liebowitz will be awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award on May 21, 2023 at the Wofford College’s commencement at 9:30.
Algernon Sydney Sullivan was born
in Madison, Indiana on April 5, 1826, son of Jeremiah Sullivan (1794–1870) and Charlotte Rudesel (Cutler) Sullivan. He was named in honor of the
British politician, Algernon Sidney. His father was a lawyer, held the rank of Major in the War of 1812, and became a member of the Indiana legislature in 1821. Jeremiah Sullivan was also a judge of the criminal court of Jefferson County, Indiana, and of the Indiana Supreme Court (1837 – 1846). His grandfather, Thomas Littleton Sullivan, the son of an Irish barrister, emigrated from Charleville, County Cork, Ireland, in 1791, to Augusta County, Virginia. He also had a younger brother named Jeremiah C. Sullivan who, in addition to his legal career, also had a successful military career in both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. Algernon Sullivan was educated
at Hanover College and Miami University, graduating in 1845. While a law student, about the age of twenty, he made a tour of Indiana, in advocacy of taxation for the maintenance of public schools. After studying law in his father’s office, he was admitted to the bar in 1848, and for eight years practiced in Cincinnati, Ohio.
For more information about Algernon Sydney Sullivan, Click Here
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 Rebeca Greenfield
5/19 Norma Mortge
5/23 Lianne Wood
5/25 Rex Russell
5/31 Robert Lyon
5/13 Roxanne & Bogdan Gheorghiu
5/17 Deede & Jeff Cohen
5/13 Irene & Junie White
5/30 Cathy & Jon Lewson