InsideMessages from:

2 - 3• Rabbi’s Column• Talkin’ Jewish• President’s Message

4 - 5• Cantor’s Column• Playschool

6 - 7• Baby & Me/Young Families• 2012-2013 Nominees• May Birthdays• May Anniversaries• Hot and Healthy• Social Action

8 - 9• Community News• Meet New Ed. Director• Jewish Heritage Night

10 - 11• Contributions• May Calendar

418 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 215.922.6590 Phone 215.922.6599 Fax

KesherMAY 2012 SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE NEWSLETTER

www.societyhillsynagogue.org

Ann Spak Thal Hebrew SchoolA Family, Not a JobMerle Salkin

A s our school year draws to a close, thecalendar reveals a month packed withspecial activities.

MAY CALENDAR

Saturday, May 5, 9:30 AM Aminda Kirshenbaum becomes a Bat MitzvahTuesday, May 8 Special Lag B'Omer Program during HSSaturday, May 12, 10:30 AM Aleph Class participates in Family ServiceSunday, May 13 Mother's Day-Classes meet at regular times.Friday, May 18, 6:30 PM Dinner, Bet & Hay Classes lead Services

following dinner at 7:30 PMSunday, May 20, 10:30 AM Last day of Sunday School and Hebrew High

Sunday School parents are invited to ourannual sing-along

Tuesday, May 22, 5:30 PM Last day for Hebrew School classesMove-Up Day for Hebrew School. Parents areinvited to Ma'ariv Service. Celebrate (early)Shavuot with us by passing the Torah to yourchild.

Registration applications for next year are in the mail. Please respond assoon as possible. Many of our teachers, Philly’s finest, will be returning toensure a continuum of highest-quality education and care for our children. Iam pleased to announce that Aaron Wallinsky, Talia Gottesman, CoreyBass, and Shira Cohen will be returning to Hebrew School. Allie Amado willbe sharing the Hay class with Jon Panofsky. Sunday School children willmeet Aaron Wallinsky and Talia Gottesman (both of Hebrew School fame),while Jon Panofsky continues in second grade. Allie Amado will teach thefall semester while Max Weisman studies in Rome (poor man) and returnsto teach pre-K and kindergarten in January. Philip Ross will continue inHebrew High along with Allie Amado in the fall and Max Weisman in thespring. In addition, we’ll have two new faculty members who have years ofexperience working with youngsters of Hebrew School age. Many of ourSunday class aides will be returning. We really can’t do without them! Drumroll, please: Adina Goldstein, Elizabeth Heit, Liza Gendler, Jack Aaron,Gary Love, Jamie Schwartz, Karen Hafter, and Isaac Freedman. Progressreports for students in grades three through ten will be mailed in mid-May.

END NOTES

This is the last Kesher article for me to write. For 25 years, SHS has beenmy second family. A family, not a job. The years have been filled with ex-traordinary people: parents, children, teachers. and coworkers. We have

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SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE’S KESHER

Rabbi’s ColumnLearn About Spinoza,Buber, and More…Join Us for Tikkun LeilShavuot—May 26, 8 PM

Avi Winokur

Spinoza! Buber! Rosenzweig! GershomScholem! Ben-Gurion! The Kibbutz Move-ment! All this in one evening—during Tikkun

Leil Shavuot, Saturday, May 26, at 8 PM.

Let me take you back to 1989, it is Erev Shavuot. Iam one of many men and women throughoutJerusalem who are staying up all night long andstudying. (It’s called Tikkun Leil Shavuot; see theTalkin’ Jewish column). As the sun comes up, thou-sands of us take to the streets. Many walk to thesynagogue for the services, but hundreds, perhapsthousands of us from miles around, mostly dressedin white, walk to the Western Wall. There, outsideon the plaza, we gather in groups and conduct ourShavuot services, having carried Torah scrolls andportable stands all the way to the wall. It is a mem-ory that I will never forget.

Each year we at SHS have our own Tikkun LeilShavuot. We don’t study until dawn. We try to makeit to midnight. This year we have a wonderful oppor-tunity to learn about Spinoza with Dr. Elliot A.Ratzman.

Have you heard of the play about Spinoza? Beforeyou see it, come learn about Spinoza and histhoughts from Dr. Elliot Ratzman, a professor atTemple and Swarthmore. In Everything You AlwaysWanted to Know About Spinoza but Were Afraid toAsk, Elliot will answer all of your questions. By wayof background, Spinoza was considered byEuropean Jews and Christians to be the quintessen-tial heretic. Yet, modern Jewish thinkers have beendeeply influenced by Spinoza, using him to explainthe role of Judaism and the Jewish people in themodern world. Was he an atheist or a"God-intoxicated" saint? In this session, we'll seewhat Spinoza was up to and why generations ofJews have found him to be a fount of wisdom, evenspirituality. Armed with new knowledge, you can

2

then see the Lantern Theatre Company’s reprise ofNew Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch deSpinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation, July 27 1656.The play will return to the stage September 4—23. Itsrun will end just before Yom Kippur.

Buber-and will follow Professor Ratzman’s presenta-tion (I’m guessing at around 9:30 or 10 PM). Buber-and is what I call my four-part presentation on someof the great debates in mid-twentieth century Judaism.Buber himself was a scholar, theologian, and Jewishcommunal leader, who was perhaps best known forhis book, I and Thou. He was also an early Zionistwho emigrated to Palestine in the pre-state era. Hisdebates with some of the seminal figures and move-ments of his time still resonate will us today. Amongthem were his debates with:

his protégé Franz Rosenzweig on Jewish law andexistentialism;renowned scholar Gershom Scholem on the na-ture of Hasidism: joyful and celebratory, or asceticat its core?David Ben-Gurion on Zionism and the Jewishnessof the Jewish state; Kibbutz movement leaders onthe nature of the Kibbutz: misguided collectivismor the essence of “I-Thou”?

These debates reveal the passions and intellectualclimate of one of the richest times in late modernJewish cultural history.

And who knows? There may yet be more. Forget theshore! Join us on May 26!

Talkin’ Jewish: A Rabbi’s Guide toCommon Jewish TermsAvi Winokur

S havuot—literally “weeks.” Seven weeks andone day after the first day of Pesah, wecelebrate the least celebrated of the major

Jewish holidays, Shavuot, the festival of weeks. LikePesah and Sukkot, Shavuot is listed in the Bible asone of the three pilgrimage holidays; but unlike Pesahand Sukkot, it is only one day long (or two; see “Hag”below). Although it was probably an agricultural har-vest holiday at first (and that is how it appears in theBible), the rabbis of the Talmud later associated it withthe giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Torahreading centers on The Ten Commandments.

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M A Y 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2 3

a number of our past presidents, too numerous tomention, who on countless occasions were willing toshare their experience, advise and counsel. I onlyhope to be as supportive of my successors. Mythanks to Betty, Bob, Merle, Gloria, and the entireSHS staff, who by doing their jobs well, made me lookgood. To Avi, my dear friend, colleague and spiritualadvisor, I cannot thank you enough for encouragingme to take on this position and for helping me to workthrough countless issues with grace and a steadyhand. Last, but not least, my thanks to Margie, whonot only kept me sane, but also allowed me the timeto do what needed to be done.

Although I still have a number of projects I would liketo continue to pursue, I have little doubt that I amleaving the Synagogue in good hands with JonathanWeiss who, upon his election at the Annual Meetingon May 16, will become the next President of SHS.

In closing, my thanks to all of you, who by your asso-ciation with the Synagogue, help to make it thespecial place that it is and the special place that it willcontinue to be in the future.

B’Shalom!

SAVE THE DATETGIShabbat

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012

P lease join us for the last TGIShabbat for thisyear. Jesse Roemer and Eve Friedman will beour guests. More information to follow in the

Summer Kesher and SHS’s Weekly E-News.

President’s ColumnWith Gratitude andAppreciationWalter Ferst

I t is hard to believe that I havebeen writing monthly Kesherarticles for two years, and that

this is my last “official” column as the SynagoguePresident. At the risk of being a bit self-indulgent, Iwould briefly like to reflect upon the experience andto offer some well-deserved acknowledgements.

Three years ago when I agreed to take on thisoffice, I was, to say the least, and as the expressiongoes, the “outside the beltway candidate.” I spentmy initial year preparing for this role shadowing myfavorite Synagogue mentor and cheerleader, StaciSchwartz, trying to learn not just the nuts and blotsof how the Synagogue conducted its business, butalso, and perhaps more importantly, how thingsreally worked¾which I assure you, in mostinstances, is not consistent with how the fine printtells you things are supposed to work! With my train-ing year behind me, I was naively blissful that Ireally understood all the basics, and that I was nowprepared to be the President. Actually, I cannoteven write that sentence without shaking my head,a big smirk on my face. Although everyone expectsthat the President will have all the answers, let meassure you that after two years in office, I think thatat best, I have some of the questions about theissues that I hope our lay leadership will continue toaddress.

Although the office definitely has its challenges,consisting of both the obvious and the not so obvi-ous, the unexpected rewards have been special. Ihave had the very good fortune to work with a coregroup of wonderfully caring and dedicated peopleserving the most haimisheh community I have everencountered. At the risk of omitting some who nodoubt deserve recognition, and in addition to themembers of the Board and the ExecutiveCommittee, I would like to recognize our two VicePresidents, David Ladov and Jonathan Weiss, whoalways rolled up their sleeves to take on and dowhatever needed to be done, whenever the occa-sion required. I also want to offer a special thanks to

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SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE’S KESHER

That music was Jewish. It was a response to Jewishtext, and it drew on traditional melodic themes.

Some Christians, indulging anti-Semitic urges, definedJewish music by the cackles, cries, and cacophony ofworship in the synagogue. They judged that theirworship music, both Protestant and Catholic, was farmore sophisticated in harmony and melody, andconcluded that Jewish culture was not as evolved astheirs. The critics were right that it was definitelyJewish music, but they did not understand that theatonal hubbub was deliberate, and happenedbecause each person in the congregation felt empow-ered to pray aloud, whether they could sing or not.

The point was made in the panel discussion thatJewish music is not singular; there are Jewish musics.Aside from liturgical settings there is also the vast lit-erature of folk songs and Klezmer, integral products ofJewish culture. And how should we regard composi-tions by non-Jewish composers that use Jewishmusical idioms? I think that these too can beintentionally Jewish music. For examples listen to“Samuel Goldenberg and Shmuyle,” picture 6 inMoussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, or Ravel’sarrangement of the Kaddish.

If nothing else, Hebrew College’s project reminds ushow satisfying music can be on many different levels.Just listening for enjoyment is one level. Another isthe feeling of being “at home” that we get fromlistening to music that we identify as Jewish. Yetanother is analyzing the music and the culture thatproduced it. How much poorer we would be withoutmusic!

4

Cantor’s ColumnThe “Jewishness” ofJewish MusicBob Freedman

A year ago Anthony Tomassini of the NewYork Times invited his readers to help himpick the top ten composers of all time. In-

spired, the music faculty at Hebrew College inBoston decided to make their list of the top tenJewish composers. First they needed to answer,“What is Jewish Music?” It’s a perennial question.Jews are nothing if not self-analytical, and discuss-ing the “Jewishness” of Jewish music is a superbway of satisfying that urge. The topic is remarkablybroad and complex and so provides the basic bene-fit of occupying scholars, teachers, cantors andcomposers who might otherwise (God forbid!) havelittle to do. And, of course, studying such a matter isalso a serious attempt to determine the nature ofthis religion called Judaism. Panel discussions,blogs, podcasts, and a concert on May 17 at theend of the project will hopefully give them satisfyinganswers.

The first panel discussion, (see the video athttp://www.hebrewcollege.edu/videos.html), beganwith the assertion by Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, Presi-dent of Hebrew College, that music is not Jewish;people are Jewish. He went on to say that thereforeany music is Jewish if it attempts to reflect, interpret,or respond to Jewish texts, history, or experience. Ifound his statement interesting but unsatisfying. Ibelieve that there is specifically Jewish music. Itsunique identity comes from the traditional melodicand harmonic elements we hear in it.

There is music that we call “Misinai,” from Sinai, apolite way of saying that it’s so old we don’t know itsorigin. Examples are the modes that we use tochant the service or scripture and melodies like KolNidre and Aleynu for High Holy Days that comefrom a time before notation was common.

In the mid 19th century, Solomon Sulzer in Vienna,and Louis Lewandowski in Berlin, wrote composi-tions for Jewish worship that combined the oldmodes with contemporary harmonies and choraleffects.

Summer Service Schedule

The last Friday Night Service before the summerbreak will occur onJune 29, 2012.

Fridays, July 6 through August 31—No Friday NightServices

Saturdays, July 7 through September 1—9 AM TorahStudy and 10 AM Shabbat Services

Friday Night Services will resume September 7,2012.

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MAY 2012 | 5772 5

Ann Spak Thal Hebrew SchoolContinued from cover

been fortunate to have our own students return totend and teach the next crop of children, and we havebeen fortunate to see our teens return to Hebrew Highand to become precious class aides in SundaySchool. Thank you for remembering to share storiesabout the impact our teachers have had on your chil-dren. Thank you for remembering to tell me that yourchild was upset about missing a Sunday School class.Thank you for letting me know that your child led aprayer or read some Hebrew or insisted on havingevery item on the Seder plate. I am looking forward toyears filled with Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies.Our children are our blessings. Thanks for sharingyour blessings with me.

For all we know, we may never meet again.Before I go, may this feeling never end.We won’t say “Good bye” until the last minute;I’ll hold out my hand, and my heart will be in it.For all we know, this was the best dream;We come and go like ripples on a stream,So share a last smile and dreams filled with sun.Tomorrow will always come, that’s all we know.

(Based on "For All We Know" [1934],lyrics by Sam M. Lewis)

PlayschoolHurry! Camp Spots areFilling Up Fast!Gloria Parris

The Playschool Summer Camp offers a fun-filled way for children to spend their summermornings. Many of our Playschool students

continue their preschool experience in our campprogram. We welcome children who will be just be-ginning preschool in the fall to spend their summerswith us, too.

Our camp season begins on Monday, June 4,and extends for eight weeks through Thursday,July 26. The children, aged two to four years old,will participate in indoor and outdoor play, themedarts and crafts projects, circle time, storytelling, bike-riding, creative movement, camp songs, and waterfun in kiddie pools. Each day, a healthy snack isprovided by one of our families and the childrenbring their own dairy lunch. Summer camp is in ses-sion Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM–12:30 PM.There are several enrollment options: children canbe enrolled for the full eight-week program, weekly,on a Monday and Wednesday schedule, a Tuesdayand Thursday schedule, or daily. This allows par-ents to have their children on a schedule that meetstheir summertime needs. There are a limited num-ber of spots available. Summer is almost here, sonow is the time to make plans for your child. Pleasecontact the Playschool office at 215.922.6590, ext.28 or e-mail gparris@societyhillsynagogue.org formore information about the Playschool SummerCamp and to receive a summer camp application.

On Tuesday, May 1, all of the children in thePlayschool will take part in The Franklin InstituteTraveling Preschool Science Show. This excitinglesson, “Silly Shadow, Crazy Color,” will be broughtto our school. The children will learn how to makeshadows and combine colors to make new colorsduring this hands-on presentation.

Parent-teacher conferences will take place onWednesday, May 2, and Thursday, May 3. Therewill be no classes in session on either of these con-ference days.

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SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE’S KESHER6

The SHS Eatz Chaim cook-book is available for pur-chase. Make arrangementsto buy your copy today bycall ing the off ice at215.922.6590.

2012-13 SHS Board NomineesStaci Schwartz

On behalf of the Nominating Committee, Iwould like to congratulate the following indi-viduals for being nominated to the 2012-13

SHS Board of Directors:

Jud AaronJonathan FeinmanDebby FreedmanCarmen HaymanJeremey NewbergDavid Paskin

Thank you to the following members of theNominating Committee for suggesting, vetting, andconfirming such wonderful candidates for this year’savailable Board seats:

Andrea AppelFran GallunLaurel LandauJack Treatman

May Anniversaries

Zachary & Courtney MeiselEdward & Ronnie LandauGeoffrey & Beverly MichaelsMatthew & Brooke SalzmanMichael & Stephanie NaidoffHolman & Gail MasseyDaniel & Dana FeinbergDaniel & Jillan SackettIrving & Sharon ShapiroRic & Carmen HaymanJosh Meyer & Abigail ReedAndrew & Joanna BottaroJonathan Prokup & Catherine KieferIra & Lynne Rubenfeld

Playschool Continued from page 5

The 3- to 4-year-old class will be taking their fourthtrip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Tuesday,May 8, for the Museum Looks and Picture Books pro-gram. The theme of the lesson will be landscapes inart.

Playschool graduations will be held on Thursday, May24, and Friday, May 25. The children in the KittenClass will celebrate their graduation on Thursday andthe Puppy Class will graduate on Friday. The 3- to 4-year-old class graduation and the pre-kindergartena.m. class graduation will take place on Friday morn-ing. Graduation for the pre-kindergarten p.m. class willbe held on Friday afternoon. Many of our graduateswill be continuing in the Playschool, and we wish all ofour pre-K students the best of luck in their newschools.

Baby & Me and Young Families GroupsJoin Us for a Picnic or Meet Us forDinner!Laurel Landau

The Baby & Me and Young Families Groups arefaring well! We are so lucky to have an ever-growing number of young families at our

Synagogue. As a reminder, Baby & Me generallyserves the under age 2 population. The YoungFamilies group includes families with a child under 5(and of course siblings are welcome!)

We had a delightful end-of-Passover pasta dinner atPietro’s (where we ran into many SHS members withthe same idea)!

Baby & Me will next meet on Friday, May 11, from10:30 AM until 12:30 PM for a playdate and picnic inThree Bears Park.

Young Families will meet on Sunday, May 20 at 4:30PM for dinner and fun in Franklin Square!

To RSVP, and for further details, please contact me atlaurelsiegel@yahoo.com. Also, prospective membersare welcome at any of these events, so if you knowanybody who may be interested, please pass on theinformation.

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M A Y 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2 7

May Birthdays

Noah ChrismerJordana HarwitzRachel NelsonBarbara EinhornJerome RosenbergNicole PerkinsGail PoratMargot PalleyRyan TaubLiz Abrams-MorleyDaniel BeckerEtta KraussJeremy LandauMargie FerstPamela GreenblattLucy BoninDouglas EizenDanielle SchoenholtzNuriye UygurDean WeisgoldSandra LazovitzLinda GlassScarlett JacobySara SteinbergerCarolyn SaligmanSidney JacobyJeffrey WilhelmWayne SpiloveMerrily WilliamsAndrew BeckerEmma Chrismer

Joan RollerKinney ZalesneSarah BachCaroline RosenClara MilchDavid OxmanRona BuchalterSamuel LevinJacob WeinbergerSamantha CoranElizabeth HeitRosemarie WeinbergDavid HalpernColby GrossmanJoanna BernsteinAlan ZuckermanAllie MorganJulie WilsonHal GreenblattDarren MilchAva MorgensternJay MeadwayWilliam Perkins

SOCIETY HILL- HOT AND HEALTHY!

Join us for an informativediscussion in our series on health and wellness.

Herbal Medicine:Does Mother NatureAlways Know Best?

MICHAEL D. CIRIGLIANO, M.D., F.A.C.P.Associate Professor of Medicine

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania"Dr. Mike" of FOX 29 News

Monday, May 7, 20127:30 PM

Society Hill Synagogue418 Spruce Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106215.922.6590

Refreshments will be served.

Social ActionLet’s Finish the Job We Began Four Years AgoPhyllis Denbo

WHAT: SHS Mitzvah Day at George Washington Elementary School

WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 9:15 AM—1:15 PM

WHY: After two book drives, we collected approximately 2,000 books for theGeorge Washington library, but the books are not properly organized andshelved, so student access has been very limited. We can make a differencein the lives of children who do not have ready contact with books or libraries.

HOW: Volunteers may spend anywhere from one to four hours at the school.Our goal is to complete information cards for every book in the library. We'reabout half-way finished, but have not progressed in over a year. Once thecards are completed, they will be sent to Access Pennsylvania in Harrisburgfor labels and cataloguing.

WHO: All SHS members are welcome and encouraged to bring family andfriends. Parents can come for 2 hours while their kids are in Sunday orHebrew School. Teens can come with their parents or in groups.

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SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE’S KESHER8

Condolences toJay Wussow (Emily Zimmerman) on the death ofhis mother, Margaret T. Wussow.

Janis Dubin and Family on the death of her father,David Benstock.

Social Action Continued from page 7

HOW CAN WE GET THERE: The school is about 5minutes from SHS. Driving directions will be pro-vided. Parking is readily available. Shuttles will alsobe available between the two locations.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS: There will be contestsand prizes, coffee and bagels, and a wonderful feel-ing of accomplishment, all for just a few hours of yourtime.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP:Contact me at prdenbo@gmail.com or 215.755.2734.

Talkin’ Jewish Continued from page 2

The Christian holiday of Pentecost is based onShavuot.

Hag—festival. Like many Jewish terms it has multiplemeanings. Major Jewish holidays are called hag/hagim. In addition, there is a technical meaningwhich is the first one or two and last one or two (onein Israel and Reform, two in the “diaspora” – outsidethe land of Israel) days in which the rules governingbehavior are similar to Shabbat. The Arabic cognatehajj describes the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca (seebelow on pilgrimage).

Shalosh Regalim—three pilgrimage holidays. Pesah,Sukkot, and Shavuot during which the Torah com-mands the Israelites to make a pilgrimage toJerusalem.

Hol hamoed—regular times. Those intermediatedays of a festival that are not technically hag.

Continued on back cover

COMMUNITY NEWS

Jewish Heritage Nightat

CitizensBankPark

Phillies vs. Braves

Tuesday, August 7, 7:05 PM

Reserve your tickets now!

We have tickets for a 100 seats in Sections 309and 310. Join us for a fun night at the park. Topurchase your tickets call the office at215.922.6590.

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M A Y 2 0 1 2 | 5 7 7 2 9

Come and Meet SHS’s New Director of EducationJonathan Weiss

A fter an extensive search process, I am pleased to announce the appointment ofSahar Oz as SHS’s new Director of Education; he will officially join our staff in July.

About a year and a half ago, Merle Salkin announced to the Education Committee and Boardthat she intended to retire this year, after 25 years of service at SHS. A search committee wasformed and charged with the task of finding a suitable candidate to carry on with the leader-ship of the school. The committee worked hard to define the scope of the position and then reached out toeducational organizations throughout the Northeast, as well as online, to attract experienced candidates.

There were many applicants for the position, and the committee, with the help of Rabbi Winokur, CantorFreedman, and Betty van de Rijn worked to narrow the group down to six highly qualified finalists. Followingin-depth interviews, several top finalists were invited to lead discussions in the school with both the younger(Pre-K through 2nd grade) and older (3rd through 7th grade) student groups. Mrs. Salkin was instrumental dur-ing this process, helping to make this potential “trial by fire” run smoothly. The members of our committeewere excited by Sahar’s educational focus; his energy and warm, welcoming personality; and his ability toconnect with parents, clergy, and students during his brief visits to our school. He is very impressed with all ofthe things that we already do very well, and he is looking forward to building on the strengths and foundationsof the school as we move forward.

Sahar brings to SHS over 15 years of Judaic teaching experience in both formal and informal settings, and hehas worked with preschoolers through active seniors. He holds an M.A. in Jewish Education and Administra-tion from Gratz College and a B.A. in International Media from the Pennsylvania State University. A native ofRishon l’Tzion, Israel, Sahar has spent most of his life in the United States; he grew up in New York, Boston,and the Detroit suburbs.

For the past four years, Sahar has served as the Director of Judaic Programming at the Betty and Milton KatzJewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and as the Director of the Chester County Branch ofthe Jewish Community High School of Gratz College. He currently resides in Center City with his wife, Allison,who is a first and second grade teacher at The Philadelphia School.

Although Sahar is not officially starting as Education Director until July 1, he will be meeting with Mrs. Salkin,Betty, the current teachers, and the Education Committee this spring to make sure that his transition will beas smooth as possible. Please join me in welcoming Sahar at the Annual Congregation Meeting on May16, at 7:30 PM, where he will share his thoughts and goals for the school.

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C O N T R I B U T I O N S10

General FundIn Appreciation ofTerry Novick & Liesel BakerLore Bryan

In Memory ofHallie GoldsteinLois Vederman

Yahrzeit RemembranceSarah Paller, MotherRobert Paller

David Merlin, Father of Marina MerlinMerlin-Rubinov Family

Robert and Pearl Curson Goldner, ParentsSusan Schwartz

Irma Friedman, FriendJonathan Feinman

Rabbi’s Discretionary FundIn Appreciation ofGratitude for Torah StudyRabbi Valerie Joseph

In Memory ofEdward FormanAlan & Carol Magner

Yahrzeit RemembranceErvin Weiner, FatherHarvey Weiner

Mae & Herman Mishkin, ParentsLaurette Feltoon

Ervin Feltoon, HusbandLaurette Feltoon

Andrew Flicket, NephewLaurette Feltoon

Benjamin Rosenfeld, GrandfatherStanley & Judith Woloff

Pearl SchwartzStanley & Judith Woloff

Sadie Katz, MotherEleanor Oxman

Rose Michaels, MotherGeoffrey Michaels

Harry Orman, GrandfatherJames Orman

Susan Dictor, WifeJoel Chernock

Dr. BertramJoel Chernock

H. SerotaJoel Chernock

TzedakahDoris Casper

Annual Giving FundYahrzeit RemembranceJules Altman, HusbandRita Altman

Restoration FundYahrzeit RemembranceEdith Shechtman, MotherLibby Harwitz

Rosamond Levering, MotherSusan Levering

Charles Perkins, FatherMildred Lizenbaum

Evelyn Miller Bach, Wife and MotherMitchell Bach & Cindy ElliottHarry BachLinda Bach

Jay R. Baer FundYahrzeit RemembranceHelen Cohn, MotherAlan Cohn

ReminderDinner Party to Celebrate

Merle Salkin

May 19 at 7:30 PMat the home of Peter and Meg Saligman

If you wish to make a contribution to SHS in Merle’shonor, it would be greatly appreciated!

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MAY

CALENDAR MAY 2012 | 5772 11

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat1 2 3 4 5

SS-Sunday SchoolHS-Hebrew SchoolPS-PlayschoolECM-Ex. Comm. Mtg.BDM-Board MeetingEDM-Ed. Comm. Mtg.

7:15 AM Minyan4:15 PM HS6:15 PM B/M Class7 PM Talmud &Brews

No PlayschoolParent

Conferences

No PlayschoolParent

Conferences

4-6 PM Art Exhibitby Terri Saulin

6:15 PM MemorialPlaque Service

Aharei Mot-K’doshim

9 AM Torah Study9:30 AM

Bat Mitzvah ofAminda

Kirshenbaum

6 7 8 9 10 11 129 AM SS9:15 AM Nuts &Bolts9:15 AM SHSMitzvah Day11 AM HS

6:30 PM ECM7 PM HebrewClass7:30 PM SocietyHill-Hot & Healthy

7:15 AM MinyanPS Art Museum4:15 PM HS6:15 PM B/M Class7:30 PM Zohar:Kabbalah w/Rabbi

6:15 PM Service Emor9 AM Torah Study10 AM ShabbatStudy10:30 AM FamilyService/AlephClass

13 14 15 16 17 18 19Mother's Day

9 AM SS11 AM HS

7:30 PM TheFlawed Soul Café

7:15 AM Minyan4:15 PM HS5:15 PM TuesdayTorah w/Rabbi6:15 PM B/M Class7 PM Talmud &Brews7:30 PM EDM

7:30 PMAnnual

CongregationMeeting

6:30 PM Bet/HayClass Dinner

7:30 PM Bet/HayClass Service

B’har-B’hukkotai9 AM Torah Study10 AM Services10 AM ShabbatStudy

7:30 PM MerleSalkin RetirementDinner Offsite

20 21 22 23 24 25 269 AM SS-Last Dayof SS9:15 AM SSP withRabbi11 AM HS11:15 AM HSPwith Rabbi

7 PM BDM 7:15 AM Minyan4:15 PM HS-LastDay of HS5:45 PM HS Ma’ariv6:15 PM B/M Class7:30 PM Zohar:Kabbalah w/Rabbi

Last Day of PS Last Day of PS6:15 PM Service

B’midbar9 AM Torah Study10 AM Services11:30 AM TotShabbat

Erev Shavuot8 PM Service

27 28 29 30 31Shavuot Day 110 AM Service andYizkor

Memorial DayShavuot Day 2Building Closed

7:15 AM Minyan

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THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER—MAY ISSUE 2012

SOCIETY HILL SYNAGOGUE’S KESHER

418 Spruce StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19106

Phone 215.922.6590Fax 215.922.6599

www.societyhillsynagogue.org

Avi Winokur, RabbiBob Freedman, CantorWalter Ferst, PresidentBetty van de Rijn, Executive Direc-torMerle Salkin, Education DirectorGloria Parris, Playschool Director

Kesher

In the Galilee, it is a time of pilgrimage to thegraves of the great mystics, especially ShimonBar Yohai, the reputed author of the Zohar. It’squite an experience, complete with ecstatic sing-ing, dancing, and petitionary notes to the soulsof the dead.

Talkin’ Jewish Continued from page 8

Tikkun Leil Shavuot—literally “repair of the night ofShavuot.” This describes the dusk to dawn tradition ofstudy that precedes morning services on Shavuot. Itoriginated with the mystics of Tz’fat in Israel in the six-teenth century. Counting the Omer: In the book of Le-viticus we are commanded to count the 50 days be-tween the beginning of Pesah and Shavuot. Biblicallywe were to bring new grain as an offering to God aspart of this counting. The details are sketchy to say theleast. For reasons that are not entirely clear (much hereis not), part or all of the Omer period is designated as amourning period during which, among other things, onemay not get married.

Lag b’Omer—the 32nd day of the Omer on whichmourning is either terminated, or at least interrupted. Itis traditionally a day of picnics. In Israel, the precedingevening is characterized by the lighting of bonfires. InJerusalem, even outside the ultra religious quarter, youcan take a walk that evening and find little bonfires dot-ting the city as far as the eye can see.

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