Bet Shira October Bulletin 2012

strategic planJoin a strategic plan committee.Page 6

iSHABBAT Join us for aninstrumental Shabbat service and community dinner.Details on Back Cover

October 2012 Tishrei/Cheshvan 5773 Volume 28 No. 4

surviving & thriving Join us as we honor Bet Shira’s Holocaust Survivors.Info on Page 6

Come Celebrate Sukkot!

Sukkot Service, 9:30 a.m.Monday, October 1

Sukkot Service, 9:30 a.m.Tuesday, October 2

Services held in Arin Stacey Applebaum SanctuaryKiddush in Sukkah

Bet Shira ReadsJoin us in reading and discussing Nathan Englander’s book,What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank.

Wednesday, October 10, 7:30 p.m.Conversation about Englander’s book. Three stories that will be discussed are: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank,” “Camp Sundown,” and “Free Fruit for Young Widows”

Wednesday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. An Evening with Nathan Englander at Bet Shira. The 32nd Alper JCC Jewish Book Festival

Whitney Appelrouth

Andrew and Sharon Corman

Alexander and Barbara Havenick

Lisa Kovalsky

Joshua and Michelle Rader

Herschel Rosenthal

Dustin and Amber Young

WE WELCOME OURnEW MEMBERS

LOOKIng BACK

CAnTOR KULA &

COREEn’S SHEvA BRACHOT

B E T S H I R A C O N G R E G AT I O N w w w . b e t s h i r a . o r g

2

Rabbi Schuldenfrei with the ECC Kindergarten class helping stuff Isaiah Project bags. September 11

Sisterhood volunteers, showing off their hard work on the Shirabaskets. September 10

Cantor Kula enjoying challah with ECC Kindergarten students on their first Shabbat.August 24

ProFESSioNAl STAFF

rABBiBRIAn SCHULDEnfREI

rABBi EmEriTuSDAvID H. AUERBACH

CANTor MARK H. KULA

EXECuTiVE DirECTorLORI SOLOMOn

ECC DirECTorJUDITH gAMPEL, ED. D

EDuCATioN DirECTorMARILYn WOLfSOn

YouTH DirECTorALEX ZAREMBA

LAY LEADERSHIP

PrESiDENTJOSEPH H. SEROTA

PrESiDENT-ElECTLORI BLUM

SiSTErHooD PrESiDENTSUZAnnE ROBERTS

SUPPORT STAff

riTuAl ASSiSTANTAvROn SMOLEnSKY

FiNANCE DirECTorAILEEn LAfOnT

EXECuTiVE ASSiSTANTDOnnA LEIgH-TUCKER

mEmBEr SErViCES/BullETiN BECKY CHOSED

ECC ASSiSTANT DirECTorARIEL KOBETZ

ECC ADmiN. ASSiSTANTgLADYS MARTInEZ

ECC PTA liAiSoNSHIRLEY WILLIAMS

JEC ADmiN. ASSiSTANTILEnE fREIDEL

LOOKIng fORWARD

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3

COnTEnTSCLERGY’S CORNER4 rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei (Don’t) Live (Too) Strong5 Cantor mark H. Kula Commandment: Be Happy!

fROM OUR PRESIDEnT6 Joseph H. Serota: Be a Part of Surviving and Thriving

SISTERHOOD7 Suzanne roberts8 Jewel Greetings

RITUAL10 religious Services & Candle lighting Times

SYnAgOgUE EvEnTS & nEWS11 Be in The Know!

EDUCATIOn12-13 Bet Shira: Perfect For The Young ones in Your Family

YOUTH PROgRAM14 Youth Calandar happenings and events

PROgRAMS AT BET SHIRA15-16 Adult learning, movie night, and more

Y ElloW ruBBEr BrACElETS; we all wore them a few years ago. live strong—they proclaimed.

We loved the message—fully embrace life. Push forward. Give it everything you have.

This summer, the inspiration for these bracelets, the cyclist lance Armstrong became the latest in a long list of sports heroes to fall from grace because of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Around the same time as Armstrong’s demise, there was a far smaller but equally revealing headline that told of the massive cheating rings at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York. At Stuyvesant, over seventy students were implicated in a cheating scam where one student photographed and distributed answers to a state wide exam. if that wasn’t bad enough, the students response was more concerning:“Everyone cheats. We just got caught.”

it is too convenient to label lance Armstrong and the mark mcGwires of the world cheaters and move on? it is too easy to look at Stuyvesant High School and dismiss them as foolish kids. These stories beg us to go deeper and ask why. Why would a gifted and accomplished superstar inject himself with drugs designed for cattle? Why would the top high school students in New York City, all headed to great colleges, resort to cheating? The question “why” is most relevant because it is most revealing—not only about any particular athlete or school, but about us. The answer reveals something about us as a society, something that we need to change.

let’s ask the question—Why did lance Armstrong take all those drugs? imagine your whole life you are trained to do only one thing – to be the best cyclist in the world. And you are almost there. You are great. You are one of the best. But you have been raised to be the best, not one of the best. is it a big leap to steroids? Clearly, judging by the rampant use of drugs in sports—its not a big jump.

And the students at Stuyvesant— they have been studying their whole lives to get ahead, to get in to the best colleges, to get on the fast track to success. is it that hard to imagine them taking answers for a test knowing that it could help push them over the top?

This type of pressure, an incessant drive to succeed, is not unique to lance Armstrong. it is not unique to the students at Stuyvesant or students in competitive academic programs. This type of pressure is all around us, and it is part of our own lives. Armstrong’s yellow bracelets encouraged us to live strong, but we already live too strong.

it starts with our children. our children’s days are over-programmed, their lives are over-structured, and there are too many demands put upon them. We push them too hard. Studies confirm that the amount of homework given to 6 through 9 year olds has more than doubled in the past twenty years. And after finishing homework there are extra-curricular activities, community service, sports. Where is the time left for a kid to be a kid?

We push too hard, and our kids feel it. According to a liberty mutual study— 83 % of teenagers say they are stressed about homework and pressure to excel. The pressure just doesn’t dissipate—it doesn’t just go away. Sometimes the pressure pops. Studies show that children who exhibit physical symptoms of stress are more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs. And sometimes the pressure is so great it changes the child. The Stuyvesant students were not alone; according to one recent survey of 12,000 high school students – close to 75% of the respondents admit to cheating at some point in school. Apparently the reaction at Stuyvesant, “everyone does it, we just got caught, ” has something to it.

Continued on Page 16

This is an excerpt from Rabbi Schuldenfrei’s Second Day of Rosh Hashanah sermon. To see the entire sermon, please visit

our media center on our web-site.

(Don’t) Live (Too) Strong!


4 C L E R G Y ’ S C O R N E R

from The Pulpit: Rabbi Brian [email protected]

r EFlECTiVE roSH HASHANAH, awesome Yom Kippur and joyous Sukkot, kick off the Jewish

New Year. During this opening season of the Jewish calendar, we take responsibility for our Jewish future. We try to let go of what burdens us, damages our being and limits our souls. Better yet, we will build on our finest moments and most excellent experiences thereby advancing our personal, communal and professional lives. of course, following this path leads to the added benefit of helping others and providing individual fulfillment and happiness.

october begins with Sukkot, which Judaism titles, our Holiday of Happiness. From the onset the new Jewish calendar year guides and hopefully inspires us to prioritize happiness. maybe the message is simply do the best you can to be happy. Jewish tradition teaches that upon approaching another person, do so with a happy and pleasant demeanor. A great philosopher wrote that it is good to choose happiness because it is good for you. medical studies support the choice of happiness. Judaism has a serious side that is more than balanced out by its commandments to be happy.

The Sukkah, a fragile structure, symbolizes the limits of possessions. Celebrating guests, family and community that gather in the Sukkah is what matters most and is a primary message of the Sukkah. The fragrant lemony Etrog and luxurious lulav palm greens focus on the beauty of nature. included in the liturgy on Sukkot are our prayers for rain and good seasons highlighting the blessing of sustenance. The entire holiday season ends with the singing and dancing of Simchat Torah.

We are commanded to count our blessings and be happy. in fact, rabbi Schuldenfrei and i begin each Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday evening service, with the invitation of recalling the blessings of the week. Think about it. A secret to being happy is looking at life and seeing the blessing around us. Judaism is on to something about upgrading life. The melodic stream of the Holiday season and the majority of Jewish practices are encouragement to perceive and feel the presence of blessing. The word for blessing, Baruch, has two similar words originating from the same root. Berech means knee and connects to blessing in the sense that our knees brace us for life and enable us to leap upward and forward. The other word is Beraycha meaning pool and it too is related to Baruch, for connecting to blessing envelops our entire being as do the waters of a pool. Go for it and gauge your blessings… Blessing conscientiousness will lead to more happiness. As the Holiday season closes this year, may the sweet melodies of the festival linger and the feelings of happiness be a harmonizing feature of the coming year.

[email protected]

Hold on to What is Good

Hold on to what is good, Even if it is a handful of earth.Hold on to what you believe, Even if it is a tree which stands by itself.Hold on to what you must do, Even if it is a long way from here.Hold on to life, Even if it is easier letting go.Hold on to the hand of your neighbor, Even when we are apart. -Annonymous

Commandment: Be Happy!

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5C L E R G Y ’ S C O R N E R

The voice of Bet Shira:Cantor Mark H. Kula

BOARD MEETIng

Thursday, October 257:30 p.m.

STRATEgIC PLAnTASK fORCE DATES

Monday, October 29

Tuesday, October 30

Thursday, november 1

Monday, november 5

Thursday, november 8

Tuesday, november 13

Wednesday, November 14


6 F R O M O U R P R E S I D E N T

Surviving and Thriving

Joseph H. [email protected]

At a Sunday morning brunch on November 18, 2012, Bet Shira Congregation will be honoring our Holocaust survivors and their families in a unique and moving program. our co-chairs, linda Truppman, Joshua Harris, and Susan lichtman have worked with miami Dade College to create a very special documentary tracing the lives of the survivors before,

during and after the Holocaust. The film will feature new interviews with the survivors and with their families. The film and the program will explore their journeys, both geographical and spiritual. These incredible people have not just survived the Holocaust. They have each thrived and created new lives in this country and in our community.

our honorees are as follows: helen herskowitz z”l, leo Martin z”l, David Mermelstein, irene Mermelstein, simon simkovic The Holocaust was a horrific event that the world must never forget. Unfortunately, our children will be the last generation to actually know and hear directly from the survivors. The purpose of the program and the resulting film is to make sure that our children learn about this tragic event, but not simply from a teacher or from a book. We all need to understand what happened from the people and families who have first hand knowledge. This program, like many of our most important events, is also a fundraiser. Please consider being a sponsor to pay tribute to our honorees. Proceeds will be used to support the synagogue and to help rededicate our Holocaust memorial Garden which will be significantly upgraded to commemorate this event.

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7S I S T E R H O O D N E W S

DAY TIME

BOOK CLUB

September brought us two annual traditions: tropical storms and beautiful High Holidays. The inspired services by our clergy during rosh Hashanah, the ancient beauty of the choir’s music, and a sanctuary filled with the many faces that make up our community was a firm reminder of the enduring strength Bet Shira offers us. Awakened and renewed, we turn to a new year of blessings and peace.

September is also the time of Shira Baskets, Sisterhood’s biggest fundraiser. An updated ordering system this year, both paperless and by telephone, proved seamlessly simple and produced strong sales. Assembly and delivery were accomplished in a snap! Thank you all. Biggest bouquets of gratitude with all our thanks go to the Shira Basket Team of Cheryl rosen, Debby Koenigsberg and Gail Serota. Thank you to iane Deutsch for handling sales of holiday flowers, too. Between baskets and blossoms we are cared for well.

memberships to Sisterhood are trending upward. if you haven’t yet joined for this year, please do so without delay. our Appreciation luncheon is Wednesday, october 17 and your ticket to an invite is your paid-up membership. Please contact our diligent chair Debbie Brodie-Weiss.

The Cooking Academy ran its first class “Low-Fat, Healthy High Holiday Meals,” by Sarah Davidoff of Kosher Events by Fare to remember, and it was a big success. Be sure to sign up for the next class offered by our own Stephanie Bull, accomplished chef and cookbook author as she teaches “Vegetarian Meals in Syrian Sephardic Cuisine,” on Tuesday, october 23 at 10am. at Bet Shira. if you are interested, contact Stephanie by email: [email protected].

Craft Corner begins its classes on monday, october 15 from 10am to 2pm. linda richman will teach making a wrap bracelet. Cost is $30. Basic Knitting, taught by Harriet rudoff, is october 22, 29 and November 5. You will produce finished products from these classes. All sessions cost $30. Please register by mailing your check to 13255 Southwest 98 Place miami, Florida 33176. Classes are filling up fast so don’t ponder too long.

Wednesday, October 24 at 10:00 a.m.at Bet Shira.A River Sutra by Author Gita Mehta. Facilitator: Sharon Glick - [email protected]

SISTERHOOD BOOK

CLUB Meets Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 pm at the home of Linda SpiegelmanPersuasion by Author Jane Austen.

gAME DAY Thursdays 10-Noon at Bet ShiraCome learn how to play mah jonng, canasta, Scrabble, pick up sticks and more! It’s a great way to get to know people and pick up a new game.

MOvIE CLUBTuesday, October 30 at 7:30 pm at the home of Linda Spiegelman. Film: “Shanghai Ghetto”RSVP for this event [email protected] or [email protected]

HOLIDAY BAZAARIt’s just around the corner! If you can help, send Suzanne an email to: [email protected]

“As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.”

-Antoine de Saint Exupery

Suzanne Roberts

Sisterhood [email protected]


8 S I S T E R H O O D J E W E L S A N D G R E E T I N G S

Fredi and Ray Applebaum

Melissa and Jared Dall’au

Phoebe Dall’auBrandi Applebaum

Ian Applebaum

Diana and Richard Bailey

Esther and Saul Bialilew

Elise CorenBrad CorenAlex Coren

Danielle ReedCharles Reed

Helene and Abe Benyunes

Mia SpigelmanKayla SpigelmanJacob SpigelmanMitchell SpectorAndrew Spector

Judie BergerEli Berger

Anna BergerShayna BergerJonah Bergernoah BergerEzra Berger

Stephanie BergerLauren Berger

Lori and Barry Blum

Caryn and Barry Boren

Brett BorenMargot Boren

Rooney and Michael Brodie

Alexis and Bradley Brodie

Debbie Brodie-Weiss and Ed

Weiss & FamilyAlyssa Brodiegarret WeissKelsey WeissDarin Weiss

Melissa and David Buckner

Julia BucknerCatherine BucknerMackenzie Buckner

Courtney Cohen Brad Cohen

Nancy and Robert Crair

Aaron CrairDaniel Crair

Beth and Jeff Davidson

Karen and Eugene Eisner

Leah EisnerMillie EisnerMicah Eisner

Hannah Weiss

Eileen and Neal Farr

Harlee RaderAva Rader

Mason Shechter

The Fidanque Family

Kyla finkleJordan finkle

The Fishman Family

Jayme fishmanStacey geigerAdam geiger

Dr. and Mrs. Roberto Fridman &

Familynatalie fernandez

Mila gillette

Renee and Paul Gershen

Jessica gershenJared gershen

Shelley and Mark Ginsburg and

FamilyBrooke WilenskyTroy Wilensky

Hailey ginsburgSydney ginsburg

Zul Zein Mit Glick

Gompers Family Sammy gompersJaimee gompers

Eli gompersAvery gompersSheela gompersEvan gompers

Valerie and Barry Gubernick

Gerri & Ruben Gurvich &

Familynathalie fletcherMichael fletcherDebra fletcher

gabriela fletcherLisa gurvich

Rebecca gurvich

Ilene and Phineas Hyams

Susan and Larry Jay

Joseph Panoff

Sandra and Stan Kaplan

Laura KaplanBreena Kaplan

Joan KasnerAlexa Kasner

Sandra and Martin Katz

The Kobetz FamilyMax KobetzRose KobetzBodhi KobetzElla Kobetz

Ruby Kobetznate Kobetz

Joan and David Kobrin & FamilySamantha Leigh

KobrinZachary Ryan KobrinLeanna Rachel Kobrin

Miles Reid Kobrin

Jackie and Joe KoptowskyJaxon ShevinSloane Shevin

Mary and Robert Krantzler

Alexandra Samantha Krantzler

Jaclyn Alana Krantzler

Zachary Morris Ebenfeld

Alyse and Jonathan

Messinger & Family

Sabrina MessingerJoshua Messinger

Madelyn and Neil Messinger

Alyse MessingerJonathan MessingerSabrina MessingerJoshua Messinger

Kelli MessingerDavid MessingerMyles MessingerJesse MessingerAileen Messingergordon MessingerLeora Messinger

Andrea MessingerZachary Messinger

Mia MessingerRyan Messinger

Nissa & Lee Mesnekoff

Isaac MesnekoffIvy Mesnekoff

Benjamin Mesnekoff

Sherry and Scott Mittleman

victoria Rose Pinhas

Aaron Jordan napach

Cathy and Ed Newman

Stephani newman Zuckman

Jared ZuckmanHolly newman

greenbergBlair greenberg

Joyce and Dick Newman

Novak Family

Jason novakAmy novak

Velma and Paul Papier & ChildrenRachel AlexanderSydney AlexanderAiden Shneider

nathaniel ShneiderRobert Papier

Rebecca Papier

Pertnoy FamilySyvie KandellBlake Kandell

Debbie and Eliot Rosenkranz &

FamilyCarly Chohon Ben Chohon

Stephanie RosenkranzAndrea Rosenkranz

Chelsea RothPeter Roth

Randi and Len Rothenberg &

FamilyHanna Rothenberg

Moie BrennerMilo Rothenberg

Rori Brenner

The Gerald Rudoff and Robert Perez

FamilyScott

DanielleRobertAdam

Judy and Fred Schild

Lisa HerschelJeff HerschelSam HerschelDan Herschel

Bill Schild

Zelda and John Schwebel

Best wishes for a Healthy & Peaceful

new YearJessica Michelle

SchwebelAlexis Irene SchwebelJacob Martin Schwebel

Gail and Joseph Serota

Michael SerotaDavid Serota

nathan Serota

Clarice and Martin Shtrax

Esther and Moises Simpser

Eileen SomersetAidan Somerset

Linda and Bob Spiegelman &

FamilyElizabeth Parker

goldishJulia gabrielle

goldishKatherine Olivia

goldishAllison Reese gould Scott Mason gould

Michael Eric Spiegelman

Bryan Alexander Spiegelman

Benjamin Scott SpiegelmanDavid Brent Spiegelman

Zachary WeinerDaniel Weiner

Riva and Jay Steinman

Rachel Steinmangregg SteinmanEven Steinman

The Stone FamilyTamara and Jeffrey

StoneJanine StoneMichael StoneJacob Stone

Maxwell StoneSamson Stone

Elayne Tendrich & Family

Gail TescherLillian EigLola Eig

Rachel Troper

Linda and KeithTruppman

Jonathan Truppman

Joshua TruppmanJordan Truppman

Marjorie B. Ugent

Bradley A. Ugent

Sheila and Richard Wagner

Zachary Eli newman

Halle-Charlotte newman

Olivia Wagner newman

Dylan Albert Lennick

Irene and Malvin Weinberger &

Family

Maxine and Al Weinstein

Maya WeinsteinMichael WeinsteinDara Weinstein

Benjamin RobbinsMadeline Weinstein

Lauren Robbins

Rae and Lloyd Wruble

The Yegelwel Family

Beth YegelwelHarris Yegelwel

Phyllis and Jack Yaffa

Ryan Yaffagarrett YaffaHailey Yaffa

Amanda YaffaMeghan Yaffa

Samantha YaffaMatthew Kuhlnicole Kuhl

The Zeichner Family

Alan ZeicherRicky Zeichner

Zelonker Family

The following Bet Shira families, their children and grandchildren (“Jewels”) wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

Shabbat Guest SpeakerSaturday, October 27

Randall H. Kaufman

Topic: We Must never forget:

A Rationale for Holocaust and genocide Education

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9R I T UA L & R E L I G I O U S S E R V I C E S

DAILY WORSHIP

roBErT TENDriCH CHAPEl

Sundays 9:30 A.M.

Weekdays 7:30 A.M.

SHABBAT WORSHIP

AriN STACEY APPlEBAum SANCTuArY

friday nights 6:30 P.M.

Saturday Mornings 9:30 A.M.

SHABBAT TIMES

October 5 at 6:46 P.M.

Havdalah October 6 at 7:41 P.M.







In MEMORIAM

• Albert Sherman, uncle of Robin Shaeffer.

• Danny Gross, father of Joan (David) Kobrin

•Lilian Witner grandmother of Brian and (Lisa) Gitlin and Michelle and (Paul) Kaplan.

• Shirley Friend, mother of Richard (Elene) and Michael (Debbie) Friend.


1 0 S Y N A G O G U E E V E N T S & N E W S

• To Jonathan Mann, son of Adele and Mel Mann, for graduating from The Levin College of Law at The University of florida. Jon is now an associate in the Miami law office of White & Case.

• To Jamie Mann, for graduating from The University of florida - College of Engineering. He is attending The Levin College of Law at The University of florida.

• To Karen and Paul Kade on the engagement of their daughter Allison to Boris Kerzner.

• To Howard and Lynn Zusman on the birth of their grandson, Sawyer Ivan Haller, parents are Kim and gregg Haller.

• To Izzy Szomstein, son of Marcos and Becky Szomstein and Jacob frank, son of Michael and Anna frank for both completing Black Belt status.

• To Gail and Howard Schneider on the birth of their granddaughter, Carley. Parents are Briana and grant Schwartz.

• To Jessica and David Coggins on the birth of their son, Myer. grandparents are Ruth and Steven Shere. Aunts and Uncles, Melissa and (Doug) Beek and Samantha and (Mason) Sharpe.

• To Roxanne and Ed Joffe, on the birth of their grandson Andrew Michael Joffe. Parents are Matthew and Marina Joffe. Big sister is Lauren.

• To Paul and Velma Papier on the B’not Mitzvah of their granddaughters, Rachel and Sydney Alexander.

RECOgnITIOn• To Addie Tytell and her family for donating a Torah to a synagogue in Israel, in memory of her late husband, Bernard.

At the start, we want to give special thanks to everyone who participated in ProJECT iSAiAH, which once again met our goals of collecting much-needed food for the Kosher Food Bank. This marked a wonderful beginning to the New Year. Special thanks for Barry Gubernick for once again leading this effort and to Scott lehman for donating the truck to collect your many contributions.

PiNECrEST GArDENS ClEAN uP will offer an opportunity to get outside and help take care of one of our area’s nicest attractions. Everyone will meet at the entrance at 9:00 a.m. on october 26. Bring a lunch and join the group for a picnic after the work is done. Please contact Bernie Stein at 305-232-1422 for details.

FAmilY ACTiViTY DAY AT THE CHAPmAN PArTNErSHiP in Homestead will offer a chance for people of all ages – including children – to brighten the day for homeless families and to have a great time doing a great mitzvah. We encourage all members and their families to spend a few hours with us on November 4 making new friends and brightening the day for children in need.

HABiTAT For HumANiTY The annual synagogue work day at Habitat for Humanity will be on December 2. Contact Carol Berk with any questions, and more details will follow next month.

CHANuKAH BASKET ASSEmBlY will take place on December 2 at Bet Shira. Details next month.

As always, we continue with CollECTioNS for a number of local agencies. For the KoSHEr FooD BANK, bring your non-perishable food products to the donation bin located outside the synagogue office. We are also collecting books and magazines for the Food Bank and the CHAPmAN PArTNErSHiP, and we also welcome donations of hygiene products and unused, unexpired medical products for the oPEN Door CliNiC and other agencies. We are also collecting feminine hygiene products for women at iNN TrANSiTioN. There is a real need for all of these items, so all donations are greatly appreciated.

Please join us at one of our projects, let us know what community service projects you are engaged in, and feel free to share any suggestions or ideas.

uPComiNG EVENTS:

pinecrest gardens cleanup, October 26Family activity Day at chapman partnership, november 4habbitat for humanity, December 2chanukkah Basket assembly, December 2

uPComiNG mEETiNGS: tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 p.M.

MAZEL TOv

Jerry Greenberg, Karen Siegel, and Steve SpannCo-Chairs Tikkun Olam Committee

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

The beginning and end of Torah is performing acts of loving kindness. – Talmud, Sotah 14a

Tikkun Olam

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1 1E A R LY C H I L D H O O D E D U C AT I O N N E W S

Judith Gampel, Ed. D

The month of October is filled with so many exciting programs! We hope you will join us for some of the fun!

monday, october 1- SukkotNo SESSioNS

Tuesday, october 2 - SukkotAll invited to attend services with us!12:00 Dismissal

Wednesday, october 3 - Pre-K Family Holiday Bridge-Sukkot10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.leo and Gloria martin Social Hall

Thursday, october 4 - Pre K Family Holiday Bridge-SukkotDinner and Service6:00 P.m. -7:30 P.m. in the SukkahGraciously Sponsored by our Sisterhood and P.T.A.

Thursday, october 4 - P.T.A. Shakes in the Sukkah

Friday, october 5 - JAmmiES AND JEANSShabbat for the Tots in our Family6:00 P.m. Service6:30 Pm rSVP for Complimentary Pizza Dinner

monday, october 8 - Shemini AtzeretNo SESSioNS

Tuesday, october 9 - Simchat TorahAll invited to attend services with us!12:00 Dismissal

Thursday, october 11 - P.T.A. meeting9:00 A.m. School library

Thursday, october 18 - School Committee meeting11:15 A.m. School library

Thursday, october 18 - Holidays to Go: Shabbat7:00 P.m.A perfect guide for those new to holiday preparation. Judi and Esther will help you prepare a basic holiday menu that you can adjust for your family’s tastes. $18.00 a classFirst time in attendance is free! r.S.V.P. to Gladys at 305-238-2606.

Thursday, october 25 - “Creating a Jewish Home”The blessings in a Jewish home.Facilitator: Cantor mark H. Kula

Friday, october 26 - Parent Conference DayNo SESSioNS

Sunday october 28-Friday November 2 - Shalom Sefer Book FairAll Star Book Fair!!!

Tuesday, october 30 - Dress-up Day and Class Visits

Friday, November 2 - Grandparent’s Day at the Book Fair 10:00 Am-12 noon.

ECC [email protected]

ECC Kindergarten class helping put labels on jars of honey for Isaiah Project bags, September 11


1 2

JEC Kids on fi rst day of school,August, 29

B E T S H I R A YO U T H N E W S

JEC MEETIngS

Tuesday, november 13 • 7:30 P.M.

Tuesday, January 8• 7:30 P.M.

Tuesday, March 12 • 7:30 P.M.

Sunday, April 14 • 10:30 A.M.

SIMCHAT TORAH

J E W I S H E D U C AT I O N C E N T E R N E W S

Sunday, October 7• The children will be presented with personal Torahs and participate in services!

Marilyn Wolfson

The Torah requires that we build a Sukkah on Hag HaSukkot, but it does not say how many walls it must have or describe it beyond saying what materials it must be made out of. That is very much the approach we have taken at the JEC. As teachers and parents we have an obligation to educate our children to the best of our ability and like the Sukkah we can design, construct and build the most advantageous way to do this for our family and our community.

This year the JEC has added to our structure. We not only added staff... but necessary & required materials plus a new model for our children to learn with. We have a new curriculum, text books and learning models. We have an exciting interactive component for our children and teachers to bring into their homes. This is the future and though at times we may wander, pick up and move, the one constant is the traditions Jewish people live by; the belief in family, community and education. Together like the twigs entwined in a Sukkah we will always have shelter from the changes whether it be inside or outside the walls of the JEC.

Simchat Torah, affords us the opportunity to be joyful, loud, and very active. The children march with their fl ags, we rejoice in the opportunity to lift our Torahs high and begin our Torah reading anew. We ask that you continue to lift your commitment to Jewish Education and allow us the opportunity to set the sky as our limit.

Part of the beauty of our texts is the new and old interpretations. Kind of like what our JEC board and parents resemble. The older generation and the newer generation. We are so very blessed to have grandparents and parents working side by side to help us make our programs a success.

“le Dor va dor” and “Todah rabah” to all the generations that made our fi rst annual JEC Sukkot dinner a success. We can build our celebrations like our Sukkah... any way we want. The JEC resembles a portable structure. our building may be made of brick and mortar but our minds, hearts and action are like the Sukkah; continuously being rebuilt.

Have a wonderful 5773 and join us in our ever changing SuKKAH called the JEC!

JEC [email protected]

The Words We Speak

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USY (grades 9-12)•Wings & Trivia night, Fear Factor, Haunted House night and more!

More details to come.

Kadima (grades 6-8)• Friendship bracelet making, Capture the flag, Arcade Night and more!

More details to come.

Yachad (grades 3-5)• Sunday, October 14Israel out of Ice Cream, • Sunday, October 28

Make a Music video

Important Dates!• USY and Kadima Regional Conventions

USY convention October 19 - 21 @ the Hilton ft. Lauderdale Airport

Kadima Convention November 2-4@ B’nai Aviv in Weston*Please let Alex know if you are interested so he can get you the details and forms!

October’s Riddle:There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of black babies. What is it?*last month’s answer: I am fire

October fun facts:first “Model T” ford put on the mar-ket, October 1, 1908.Only month when all 4 North Ameri-can sports play. (NBA, MLB, NFL & NHL)Sarcasm Awareness Month, national Chili monthfamous Birthdays: Charlton Hes-ton - 4th (aka Moses); Sasha Baron Cohen- 13th; Zac Efron - 18th; Weird Al Yankovic - 23rd; Matthew Morrison - 30th

Alex Zaremba

Jaret Dan, Daniel Crair, raftin Cain and Emma Feldman at rapids Waterpark, September 9

MOvIE nIgHT

Screening “Sipur Gadol” (A Matter of Size)An Israeli comedy about Sumo Wrestling!Wednesday, October 10 6:30-9:30 P.M.

8th grade and up invited!Sushi making @ 6:30 (RSVP a must)Sumo Wrestling Tournament 7-8 P.M. Movie Screening 8-9:30 P.M.$8 Includes Sushi, Sumo and Movie.

Join the rabbi for pizza and quality conversation, Friday November 2 - 3:30-5 P.m. At the end of the year, get confirmed at a ceremony during Shavuot.

B E T S H I R A YO U T H N E W S

Celebrate the new moon, talk, plan, create., and have fun with melissa Spann. First or Second Thursday nights of each month. 7-8:30 p.m. All high school females welcome.

J E W I S H E D U C AT I O N C E N T E R N E W S

Youth [email protected]


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Monthly Movies (M&M’s)

Join us for a movie screening on the 10th of every month

at Bet Shira. All are welcome!

Wednesday, October 10 at 8:00 PM: “Sipur Gadol” (A Matter of Size)

An Israeli comedy about Sumo Wrestling

our children are not alone. Adults--We too feel pressured. Just look at the place where we spend the most time, the office. According to a National Sleep Foundation study, the average American works a forty-six hour work-week. And almost forty percent of the survey’s respondents work more than a fifty hour work week. We work so hard in order to get ahead; in order to be the best at what we do because we want to succeed.

And sometimes success not only drains our time, it compromises our souls. The author of “making Good: How Young People Cope with moral Dilemmas at Work” finds something very troubling:

“Even though young professionals described values such as honesty, integrity, and professional relationships as important to them, they were willing to compromise these values in order to satisfy a professional demand.”

We need to be careful. Certainly we should compete. We should strive. We should push ourselves to achieve. We should live strong, but not too strong. When we say success at any cost, often the costs are too high. Do we really want to put everything we have into our work, when that means we won’t have anything left for our families? is achieving a goal unethically worth undercutting the foundation of our souls?

At every turn, our tradition reinforces a message of moderation and restraint. remember the story of creation: God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Even God does not work seven days a week!

This is the season of self-reflection. It is a time for us to recognize where we missed the mark n our lives. But maybe we miss the mark by trying too hard to hit the target. in a season where we ask others to fogive us, we also need to forgive ourselves. in a season where we literally beat our chests over opportunities missed, we need to hear another voice—a voice of comfort, forgiveness, and love. We need to hear a gentle voice from inside our souls letting us know that it is okay.

We all know the angry soccer dad, the father who relentlessly yells at his child from the sideline. His presence is discomforting, and we all pray that he will just stop. We hope he can find a way to be gentle, and to be loving. Nobody appreciates the

voice of the angy soccer dad. But too often that very same voice comes from within—it is the angry voices of our own selves and like the soccer dad, it is a voice that needs quieting.

let’s remember lessons left unlearned by lance Armstrong. We need to keep in mind how to strive, with balance; how to better ourselves without losing ourselves in the process. instead of constantly focusing on what we want to do, let’s appreciate what we have done. instead of always looking ahead, let’s take time to look around. if we live our lives accordingly—recognizing the sacred in the seemingly mundane, finding joy and satisfaction in what we already have, we can continue to live strong while still remembering how to really live.

rabbi Harold Kushner writes about a day he spent at the beach. He watched as two young children built a sand castle. The castle was close to the incoming tide and when the kids turned away, the castle was crushed by an incoming wave. Kushner thought that the kids would be devastated. But instead of crying over their destroyed castle, the children laughed, grabbed one another’s hand, and ran off down the beach.

Despite our efforts to live strong, sand castles crumble from the tide, cycling races are lost to someone who is a bit faster, and our school exams will be filled with both right and wrong answers. And when we encounter our broken castles, lost races, and incorrect exam questions, sometimes we should push harder and live stronger. But, at some point, like those children at the beach, we are better served by grabbing one another’s hand and running down the shore.

This is an excerpt from Rabbi Schuldenfrei’s Second Day of Rosh Hashanah sermon.

To see the entire sermon, please visit our media center on our web-site.

(Don’t) Live (Too) Strong!


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iShabbat

New Time!Second Fridays of the month6:30 P.M. Instrumental Services (Sanctuary)

6:30 P.M. Traditional Services (Chapel)

7:30 P.M. Community Shabbat Dinner

Please RSVP for dinner to: 305-238-2601

BET SHIRA COngREgATIOn(USPS 004-727)

7500 SW 120th Street, Miami, fL 33156Office: 305.238.2601

School Office: 305.238.2306Published monthly

except July/August combinedPOSTMASTER:

Send Returns to7500 SW 120th Street, Miami, fL 33156

Affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

PeriodicalsPOSTAgE

PAID

Bet Shira October Bulletin 2012

Documents

Transcript of Bet Shira October Bulletin 2012