September - Beit Shalom

Transcription

Adelaide Progressive Jewish Congregation
Beit Shalom Magazine
SEPTEMBER 2015
ELUL 5775 / TISHREI 5776
BEIT SHALOM MAGAZINE
President’s Report — A Moment of Awe
Special points of
interest:
Parashah Ekev (7-8 August)
This week's portion dispels a common misconception. People think that
“Man does not live by bread alone” means that a person needs additional
foods beyond bread to survive. The quotation in its entirety is, “Man does
not live by bread alone ... but by all that comes out of God's mouth”.
(Deut. 8:3)
The Torah then answers a question which every human being has asked of
himself: What does God want of you? “Only that you remain in awe of
God your Lord, so that you will follow all His paths and love Him,
serving God your Lord with all your heart and with all your soul. You
must keep God's commandments and decrees ... so that all good will be
yours”. (Deut. 10:12)
We were like teenagers at a rock concert. It was the second day of the
Australian Council of Christians and Jews conference in Rome celebrating
50 years since Nostra Aetate. It was boiling hot and very humid and there
was an electric buzz in the foyer of the hotel cum pilgrimage centre Casa
Tra Noi that was the main base for the conference. The participants,
Christians and Jews from at least 29 countries were gathering excitedly. It
was the day of the audience with Pope Francis.
My friend Michael Trainor had made his decision. After 35 years of never
wearing the roman collar because he objected to it, he capitulated. “After
all, when in Rome,” he said. I’m sure he put a lot of thought into it. So I
have a picture of him and his mentor Fr John Pawlikowski, a former head
of ICCJ, grinning at each other and wearing this sign of their priesthood.
A state that Michael usual wears very lightly, not because it has no
meaning for him, or even because of the difficulties that the recent
scandals have put in the way of priests all over the world, but because he
rejects the barriers it puts between him and other people.
Cont’d on page 4
 Sunday 6 Sept—12 noon
Working Bee & Sausage
Sizzle
 Sunday 13 Sept—6:00pm
Erev R/HaShanah Service
 Monday 14 Sept—10:30am
Rosh HaShanah Service
 Tuesday 22 Sept—7:00pm
Kol Nidrei Service
 Wed 23 Sept—10:30am Yom
Kippur Service
 Sunday 27 Sept—10:30am
Sukkah Decoration
 Sunday 27 Sept—6:00pm
Erev Sukkot Service
 Monday 28 Sept—10:30am
Sukkot Service
Inside this issue:
Congregational News
2
Yahrzeits
3
President’s Report (cont’d)
4-6
Sara Sims Literary Award
6
Eulogy - Naomi Kaminsky
7-8
HHD Board Greeting
Pam Vroom’s Story
Beit Shalom President Ron
Hoenig shakes hands with
Pope Francis in Rome
8
9-11
Sisterhood Report
10
Working Bee
10
Celebrations & Events
11
Libcon Appeal 2015
12
Rabbi David Kopstein
12
Gardening Thank Yous
12
Shabbaton Camp
13
Library News
13
Rabbi’s Column
14
Calendar
15
Directory
16
Page 2
Congregational News
BIRTHDAYS
DONATIONS RECEIVED
‫ימי הולדת‬
Thank you to the following members who have made Yahrzeit donations:
‫תרומות שהתקבלוּ‬
Wishing a Happy Birthday
to the following members:
Donor
In Memory of
Ilana Culshaw
Pnina Peisach
Philip Sheldon
Allan Mendels
Mirek Fanok
George Culshaw
Sarah Feldheim
Steven Knopoff
Danny Sag
Brian Abrahamson
Michelle Morris
Carol Schueler
David Baltman
Tomas Evan
Jacques Meschemberg
Justin Cohen
John Zoanetti
Larry Lockshin
Natalie Kagan
Dina Tversky
Greg Duarte
Amy Sierp-Worth
Taliah Wysoke
Sasha Sierp
Ethan Savic
Asher Filcoff
Zachary Knopoff
Felix Menashe
Tilly-Grace Goode
Jack & Lydia Ades
Rose Ades
Sarah Nurit Trifoi
Grigore & Elena Zhabotinski & Michael Trifoi
Margot Bailey
Walter Bridgland
Leila Helen Tversky-Steiner
Lewis Lipert
Uri Peisach
Pnina Perla Peisach
Sam Lang
Miriam Lang
Penelope Main
Ian Donald Main
Marie Lipert
Lewis Lipert
Philip & Karen Sheldon
David Sheldon & Phillip Sheldon
Lorre Zuckerman
Milton Zuckerman
Ron Hoenig
Gizi Hoenig
OTHER DONATIONS RECEIVED
Thank you to Rabbi Lenore Bohm for her donation in memory of Jamie Goode z”l
Thank you to Jack Gubbay for his donation to express his thanks to Alison Marcus
for her bounty and swift action as his first responder
Thank you to Vilma Gould, Marie Lipert, Judith Stevens, Marie Galletta & Lorre
Zuckerman for their donations in memory of Naomi Kaminsky z”l
Rosters
SHAMUS
BIMAH
Sept 04
Sept 05
R Gilbert
R Hoenig
Sept 04
Sept 05
R Gilbert
J Licinio
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Sept 11
Sept 12
J Henrie
P Main
Sept 11
Sept 12
H Limareff
S Knopoff
‫יובל נישואים‬
Sept 13
Sept 14
B Hocking
S Musry
Sept 13
Sept 14
N Zuckerman
R Hoenig
Mazel Tov to the couples who celebrate their
wedding anniversary this month:
Sept 18
Sept 19
R Gilbert
R Hoenig
Sept 18
Sept 19
A Dwyer
M Sag
Sharon & Bob Setton
Tanya & Michael Levin
Annetay & Ori Henderson-Sapir
Regine Richelle & Greg Duarte
Sept 22
Sept 23
B Hocking
P Main
Sept 22
Sept 23
A Henderson-Sapir
R Hoenig
Sept 25
Sept 26
J Henrie
S Musry
Sept 25
Sept 26
S Knopoff
L Lockshin
Page 3
Yahrzeits ‫אכ ה ר ה‬
September 4—5
Phillip Sheldon
15 Elul—30 August
Uncle of Philip Sheldon
Rose Abrahamson
16 Elul—31 August
Mother of Brian & Shirley
Abrahamson
Regina Zielinski
17 Elul—1 September
Mother of Andrew & Marie
Zielinski
Keith Bailey
Husband of Margot Bailey,
father of Peter, Beth & Anne
Esme Kimmel
Sister of Shirley Rosenthal, aunt
of Lesley
Victor Ades
Father of Albert Ades
Tibor Ronai
Father of Kay Ronai
Arthur & Frieda Ronai
Grandparents of Kay Ronai
Elena Zhabotinski
Mother of Sarah Nurit Trifoi,
grandmother of Alfred Trifoi
Charles Steiner
Father of Andrew Steiner
September 11—12
Armand Belleli
Congregant of Beit Shalom
Samuel Simon Marshall
Father of Ruth Marshall,
grandfather of Rebecca Muecke
Alysa Scheel
Aunt of Ilana Culshaw, Uri &
Ron Peisach
Abraham Aarons
Father-in-law of Viv Aarons
Max Puecklek
Uncle of Sylvia Barnes
Joseph Reiner
Grandfather of Sylvia Barnes
Cecile Condrea
Aunt of Dina Tversky
Max Feldman
Uncle of Andrew & Marie
Zielinski
Raphael Chaim Barouch
Grandfather of Ralph Barouche
& Trish Bund, great-grandfather of Michael, Lisa & David
Barouche, & Richard Bund
Gertrude Maretzki
Grandmother of Sharon Setton
Franz Prager
Father of Danielle James
Joe Mazel
Father of Jocelyn & Jack Mazel
September 18—19
Esther Alcalay Barouch
Grandmother of Ralph
Barouche & Trish Bund, greatgrandmother of Michael, Lisa
& David Barouche, & Richard
Bund
Solomon Joshua
2 Tishrei—15 September
Grandfather of Sharon Setton
Milton James Tuckfield
Father of Judith Stevens, Ray &
Allan Tuckfield
May their memories be for blessing
Abraham Zofian
Father of Livia Zofian
Abramino Ben David Menasce
Grandfather of Bob Setton
September 25—26
Ruth Wall
Mother of Carol Schueler
Harold Boas,
Father of Marjorie Luno
Mirjam Avissar
Aunt of Judith Stevens, Ray &
Allan Tuckfield
Edith Jacobs
Grandmother of Heidi
Limareff
Jakob Lenga
Father of Pesa Lenga
Jonah Kallech
Father of Marie Lipert
Marian & David Choate
Mother & brother of Judith
Choate
October 2—3
Lorna Cameron
Grandmother of Katherine
Cameron
Stella Reiner
Grandmother of Sylvia Barnes
Harold Bloustien
18 Tishrei—1 October
Uncle of Mark Bloustien
Alfred Yallen
19 Tishrei—2 October
Husband of Brigitte Yallen,
father of Katherine Goode
Page 4
President’s Report—A Moment of Awe
Cont’d from page 1
Another priest I met at the conference also never
appeared with his collar during the conference—
except for that day. James Bernauer is a director of
interfaith affairs at Boston College, and a Jesuit and he
says it’s only the Jews he meets in the course of his
business who feel uncomfortable dealing with him in
open necked shirts: “They want to know they’re
talking to a priest,” he explained. “The real thing.”
The rest of the delegates—especially the mostly male
leadership of the International Council of Christians
and Jews were wearing suits. The women naturally
had their shoulders and legs covered. I had thought:
“It’s boiling hot. We’re going to be in an audience of
about 300 people. The Pope will be the star. Who will
care what I’m wearing.” So I had on my tie and a new
shirt we had bought in Ireland, but no jacket.
Anyhow, the time had come to leave. It wasn’t a long
walk down the steep hill to the Vatican and I walked
with Sr. Giovanni Farquhar, who is a Josephite and
used to be Cardinal George Pell’s representative for
interfaith affairs and a bit of a confidante in Sydney.
She must be in her 70s but the most elegantly turned
out nun I’ve even seen. As we made our way down
towards the Apostolic Palace, she and I fenced away
our differences over the impact of the current Royal
Commission on Child Abuse and its impact on her
former boss and current friend and discussed the
context of religious life for Catholics before the
changes in Vatican II.
We arrive outside the Vatican and we line up for what
seems like an hour in the beating sun. The sky is a
brilliant blue. There is shade provide by a wall of
pillars, but with each minute the shade keeps receding
and we are left in the boiling sun, waiting. I look at the
masses of tourists in the square beyond the pillars and
think how privileged we are in comparison to those
who are standing and waiting in the baking sunlight.
Italian colleagues who set up this audience are
scurrying back and forth talking to security guards.
Then we are told that we have to line up to go through
the security screen about 200 meters away. “So all that
waiting was only a prelude to more waiting,” I
thought. But the security scanning is easy—none of
the shoes off, belts off stuff that we had been through
in every airport on our trip. A quick look in our bags
and we are off.
Then it’s up innumerable wide marble stairs, stairs
that are just wide enough and deep enough for you to
(cont’d)
be uncertain about them, slippery marble. Just enough
stairs to instill in you awe at this Prince of the Church
you are going to meet. The psychology of power
manifested in architecture. Be afraid, be very afraid.
We pass tall slim handsome young Swiss guards in
their multicolored uniforms who direct us towards our
destination. One of our friends is Rev Jenny Chalmers
from New Zealand, who has hip trouble and can’t
make it up the stairs. She is spirited away from us
towards a lift. Later she tells us she wanted to go to the
toilet. She finally finds one and then has to be told,
“Sorry Jenny. There are no ladies toilets in the
Vatican.”
The pomp and panoply and the enormous, ostentatious
wealth of the Church overwhelmed as we entered the
Clementine Hall. The walls and ceilings are festooned
with the most beautiful paintings. Wikipedia tells me:
“Over the doors appears the fresco The Martyrdom of
St. Clement by the Dutch painter Paul Bril. On the
opposite wall appear the frescos The Baptism of St.
Clement by Italian painters Cherubino Alberti and
Baldassare Croce, and an Allegory of Art and Science
by Giovanni and Cherubino Alberti. The frieze on the
side walls depict allegories of the cardinal virtues by
Alberti and Croce and the theological virtues, on the
opposite wall, by the same artists. On the ceiling is The
Apotheosis of St. Clement by Giovanni Alberti.”
There was a huge buzz as people stood around with
phones and cameras capturing the undeniable beauty
and glory of the Sala Clementina, with hundreds of red
velour chairs set out for us.
I am sitting way at the back. I don’t know why. I had
been close to the front talking to my friends and behind
me the smart people were talking chairs so that when I
turned around there were only a few rows empty at the
back. No worries. I’m fine.
There is a hush and a white cassocked figure walks in.
I’m a long way away but I take photos with my
camera.
The ICCJ’s President, Dr. Philip Cunningham steps
forwards a little nervously, describes the activities of
the ICCJ and introduces three symbolic gifts to the
Pope reflecting an aspect of the conference’s theme
“the past, present and future of the Jewish-Christian
relationship”:

a Kiddush cup (donated by a Jewish family
whose members had been hidden by Christians
Page 5
the Holy Spirit’s work.
during the Shoah);


a first-edition autographed copy
of a volume by the renowned
German Jewish philosopher
Martin Buber, whose writings
about the “I—Thou”
relationship have provided
important foundations for
reflection on the nature of
dialogue, and
a cast bronze miniature of a
new statue of Ecclesia and
Synagoga (Church and
Synagogue) commissioned by
Saint Joseph’s University in
Philadelphia to honour the
Nostra Aetate anniversary.
But unlike many portrayals of
Ecclesia and Synagoga found in
medieval cathedrals and manuscripts
(which generally portrayed Ecclesia as
triumphant, and Synagoga as
defeated), this modern work of art
depicts the two figures as equal in
dignity and beauty, looking with
curiosity and respect at the books of
each other’s respective Scriptures.
The Pope reads his response in Italian,
but we have English translations. He
stressed, Nostra Aetate is “a definitive
‘yes’ to the Jewish roots of
Christianity, and an irrevocable ‘no’
to anti-Semitism”. He highlights the
work of Jewish-Christian
reconciliation as an important fruit of
“We are strangers no more, but
friends, and brothers and sisters,”
he says.
“We confess one God, Creator of
the universe and Lord of history.
And he, in his infinite goodness
and wisdom, always blesses our
commitment to dialogue.”
Finally, he asks to pray for him.
All the awe that the room is
intended to engender is moderated
in the next minute.
It was announced that the Pope
would greet us all individually,
not just the leaders of the
international conference, but
every single person in the room.
The whisper goes around. He’s
not a young man. He’s 78. How
will he stand up to it? I formulate
a few words to say. I’m as starstruck as the rest of them.
I admire this Pope. I wonder what
it would have been like with his
predecessor, whose thinking I did
not admire and who made
appointments that seemed just
wrong–headed. But this man, who
lives with as much simplicity as
he can as a Roman citizen and
who has a longstanding friendship
with an Argentinian Rabbi Skorka
and who washes the feet of
prisoners and people with Aids.
(cont’d)
Who seems to take seriously the
social justice aspects of both
testaments and uttered his support
for the migrants from North African
who are drowning as they seek to
escape their fates at the hands of
ISIS and the Syrian government. I
admire him. I admire his stand on
ecology and especially his
statement that the Church has spent
too much time and energy worrying
about sexual matters and not
enough on the issues of poverty and
the environment.
After about a quarter of us have
gone through the line, there is an
announcement that people should
make their conversation with the
Pope brief so he can get through the
line.
Rows of people join the line and the
there is a hubbub of conversation
from those who have already
shaken his hand.
I wait in line thinking of something
to say.
I finally approach and shake his
hand and say it is a great pleasure to
meet him.
He nods and the photo shows him
looking into my eyes.
I too am in awe.
Ron Hoenig
Cont’d on page 6
Torah Portions ‫חלקים מהתורה‬
DATE
PARASHAH
TORAH
HAFTARAH
September 5
Ki Tavo
Deuteronomy 26:1—29:8
Isaiah 60:1—60:22
September 12
Nitzavim
Isaiah 61:10—63:9
September 19
Vayeilech
Isaiah 55:6—56:8
September 26
Ha’Azinu
II Samuel 22:1—22:51
SHABBAT
Shuvah
Page 6
(cont’d)
Conference delegates seated in the Sala Clementina with Pope Francis
Sara Sims Wins Two Campbelltown Council Literary Awards
Congratulations to Sara Sims who
was awarded two awards from the
Campbelltown Council Literary
Award competition—

Best entry in the Mature Writer
category, and

Best entry for the Grand AllOver category.
The Award's topic was: “The Art of
Deception” and the name of Sara’s
short story is: “Murder Mystery”
which tells the story of two migrants
who settled in SA. Fragments are
gleaned and imagined in response to
old photographs. Deception is a
common thread, as a cover-up of
atrocities during WW2 and the part it
plays in establishing what they
perceive as ‘Normal life’.
The story can be accessed online—
Campbelltown Council SA Literary
Award 2015—Sara’s story is on page
60.
Sara Sims was born in Poland, grew
up in Israel (Kibbutz RamatHashofet) and migrated to Australia
in 1977.
Sara is a poet and writer of fiction,
who has degrees in teaching (Art
Teachers’ college, Hertzelia, Israel),
B.Ed (Sturt CAE) & Grad. Dip.
Counseling (UniSA).
She exhibited her art
work for more then
two decades before
jumping ship and
diving into the deep
waters of Words.
Sara was also the recipient of the
first prize in the North Adelaide
Community Literary Award 2009—
“Migrants’ contribution to our
community”, for her short story
“Keep your lid on”.
Two of Sara’s poems are published
in the 2015 Friendly Street Poetry
Anthology—”She doesn’t smile” and
“Hula hoop”. Mazel Tov, Sara!
Views or opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent
the views of the Beit Shalom Board of Management or community.
Page 7
Eulogy—Naomi Kaminsky z”l by Emeritus Rabbi Fred Reiner
We were all saddened recently to learn of the death of Naomi Kaminsky z”l, mother of our own Rabbi Shoshana
Kaminsky, especially since many of us had fond memories of her visits to Adelaide. Aged 79 years Naomi passed away
peacefully at home on 27 Av with her family in attendance. The following eulogy was given by Emeritus Rabbi Fred
Reiner at Temple Sinai on 14 August at her funeral in Washington DC. A Minyan led by Merrilyn Ades was held here in
Adelaide on 20 August when Rabbi Kaminsky returned from the USA. We extend our most sincere condolences to
Rabbi Shoshana and her family, and wish them a long life.
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai lived
in the first century C.E. in the land
of Israel, two thousand years ago.
He asked his disciples: “What is
the best path for people to
follow?” One student said, “One
should be a good friend.” Another
said, “One should be a good
neighbor.” A third said, “One
should anticipate the future.” And
a fourth said, “One should have a
good heart.” (Avot 2:9) A good
neighbor; a good friend; a good
heart; anticipate the future. How
well these qualities describe the
life of Naomi U. Kaminsky, in
whose memory we gather today.
Naomi was born on April 25,
1936, in Hibbing, Minnesota,
where her father served as rabbi.
The family moved on to
Petersburg, Virginia, and then to
Topeka, Kansas—when Naomi
was ten. It was in Petersburg,
Virginia, that she learned it was
courageous for her to have a black
friend. It was in Topeka that she
grew up and graduated from high
school. From Topeka, Naomi went
to the University of Illinois for
two years and then transferred to
the University of Oklahoma. A
gifted student, she graduated Phi
Beta Kappa with a degree in
journalism.
Naomi loved taking tests, so when
she moved to Washington she
decided to take a test to work at
the National Security Agency. In
the late 1950s NSA was looking
for people to do cryptography,
especially
individuals
with
backgrounds in music or who
liked crossword puzzles. Naomi
was both, and she loved taking tests.
She scored very well and was offered
a job in decoding, a job that
continued for five years and launched
her professional career. Along the
way she met Irving, a young lawyer,
and they were married in September,
1962, and joined Temple Sinai in
1964. Naomi went on to do computer
programming in the early days of
computers and worked as a
government contractor.
When Shoshana was born, in 1965,
and Kate, in 1968, Naomi left the
workforce to be home with her
daughters and continued to work as a
volunteer. She worked in her
daughters’ nursery school and with
Girl Scouts, a second career as a
volunteer that led her to lend her
skills to the Library of Congress, the
Senior Health Insurance Program, the
Women’s Club of Chevy Chase,
and—significantly—Chevy Chase at
Home, as we have heard. Over the
past five years she saw Chevy Chase
at Home grow to a force in the
community with 225 members, over
800 requests for assistance, a
powerful institution dedicated to
making it possible for residents to
remain in their homes as they age,
and anticipating the future for all of
us. I had the pleasure of working with
her at Temple Sinai on the ritual
committee
and
seeing
her
contributions to the Chevy Chase
Kallah and a number of other Temple
projects.
Her professional career also resumed
with work at the American
Pharmacists Association, H & R
Block, and the Interfaith Conference
of Metropolitan Washington. She
edited newsletters with great skill,
and used her gifts of exquisite
organization, keen intellect, and
deep commitment to benefit so
many groups and causes.
We may well ask, what motivated
Naomi to give so generously of
herself over the years? In part, it
was because she was a good
neighbor, a deeply committed
member of her community. In part,
it was because she was a good
friend, reaching out to so many of
us over the years, as we reached
back to her. In part, it was because
she anticipated the future.
Naomi believed deeply in the
prophetic message of Reform
Judaism. She pursued social justice
and felt it was our responsibility to
make the world a better place, to
repair the imperfections in our
society, in our nation, and in our
world. Perhaps she was drawn to
serving older adults because she
Cont’d on page 8
Page 8
Eulogy—Naomi Kaminsky z”l by Emeritus Rabbi Fred Reiner
had an uncanny appreciation of the
future—of our communities, of all
our lives.
She agreed with the words of Rabbi
Tarfon, “It is not up to you to
complete the work (of making our
world better), yet you are not free to
avoid it.” (Avot 2:16) Naomi’s
commitment to social justice also
led her to remain well-read and well
-informed on the political issues of
the day. I saw that commitment in
many conversations, in her presence
in demonstrations around the city—
always with Irv at her side, and in
her deep conviction in so many
causes. She was a prodigious letter
writer—to the editor, to the town
leaders—on important causes, and a
model of commitment. On issues of
social justice, she was passionate
and opinionated, but willing to have
a discussion, even if she disagreed
with you. She was always respectful
of others, with friends on all sides of
political issues. She was always a
good friend.
Naomi also had so many varied
interests.
She
loved
horses,
including horse shows and race
horses. She and Irv would go to
Pimlico, investing $8 for a day in
bets on four races and sometimes
eating dinner out with the proceeds.
Naomi was a great baseball fan and
had an amazing memory for
baseball statistics and history. She
loved science and science fiction.
She and Irv enjoyed classical music,
especially ballet. She read widely
and always could recall all the
details of the books she read.
Nothing was more important to
Naomi than her family. Just a few
months ago, I was eating lunch in
the neighborhood when Irv and
Naomi entered and sat down next to
me. I remember how caring they
(cont’d)
were for each other, how
deeply they always cared for
each other, how much they
were always a couple, a
matched pair in so many
ways. How deeply Naomi
loved her husband of 53
years, with whom she shared
and accomplished so much. It
was so much more than their
shared love of music or
family
vacations.
They
shared a life together, and a
structure
to
that
life,
supporting one another in
countless ways. It was never
a dull life, as Irv says, and
they were rarely apart,
especially after retirement.
To Shoshana and Kate,
Naomi was a caring mother,
nurturing each of them as
individuals, giving them the
strength and freedom they needed.
She encouraged them to be their
own selves and was enormously
proud
of
each
of
their
accomplishments. She welcomed
Joe and Bobby warmly into the
family and rejoiced in the endeavors
of her grandchildren Yonatan,
Nadav, Simon, and Clara. She loved
reading what they wrote and being
with them on vacations. Her family
brought such joy to her heart, a
heart that was good and that
motivated all that Naomi did.
A good friend; a good and
committed neighbor; a person who
pursued justice and anticipated the
future; a good heart. These are the
qualities by which we remember
her. These are the legacy she leaves
for us. May her memory be for
blessing. Amen.
Fred N. Reiner
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple Sinai
Washington, D.C.
The Kaminsky girls—Kate & Shoshana
High Holy Days Creche
Please
contact
Marie in the
office if you
require
child
minding facilities
during morning
services on Rosh HaShanah and
Yom Kippur. Please be aware there
will be a charge for this service.
The Beit Shalom Board of
Management wish all our
members L’Shanah Tovah
Tikatevu — a joyful & peaceful
5776 filled with sweetness &
happiness.
May you be inscribed in the
Book of Life for blessings.
We look forward to greeting you
at our High Holy Days services
& wish you well over the fast.
Page 9
Pam Vroom’s Story by Vanessa Savic
On Saturday 25 July at the Sisterhood AGM, Pam Vroom was honoured for her dedication and long years of service with
a leaf on Beit Shalom’s Tree of Life, two beautifully hand painted silk Challah covers and a lovely rose bush to plant in
her garden at home. Her family were in attendance, helping to make the day even more special for Pam, and both her
daughter Vanessa Savic and husband Peter Vroom kindly consented to write this article about our beloved Pam who is
such an inspiration to us all. Mazel Tov! May you be well, may you be happy, and may you be free from suffering.
Born Pamela Kay Sims to mother
Daphne & Father Tom at Calvary
Hospital, Pam is 1 of 3 siblings,
sisters Beverley (now deceased) and
Judy (lives in Alice Springs).
From a young age Pamela was very
caring and responsible, looking after
and setting examples for her sisters
and helping out with all the chores
at home. She especially enjoyed
cooking which is probably why she
still cooks amazing dishes today,
particularly desserts, probably also
due to her love of everything sweet!
Pam grew up in Woodville but spent
much time with her grandparents.
Grandfather had a pet shop in the
city and aviaries and ponds in a big
garden, and grandmother looked
after her with little treats. Her father
was a cook and loved fishing!
Pam developed a great sense of style
early on in life, was extremely well
dressed, with many admirers at
school and college dances, not
surprising as Pam looked very much
like a young Elizabeth Taylor! Pam
liked to dance and socialise and was
often the centre of attention at many
social events.
Book-keeping
and
various
accounting roles formed the early
part of Pam’s career, which is
where she met her 1st husband Ed
Argy and married soon after in
1960. Pam and Ed had 2 children,
Grant, now 53, and Vanessa, 50.
Pam and Ed spent most of their
married life in Para Hills, a very
modern 60’s neighbourhood. Pam
very much enjoyed motherhood
however, with her career in its
embryonic phase, she decided to
return to work when Vanessa was
3.
Life in Para Hills was highly social
and busy with Pam working full
time and balancing work, family
and social time with great skill, and
still devoting time to the
synagogue!
In 1974, after Pam and Ed
separated, she married Peter. Pam,
Peter, Grant and Vanessa lived in
Hyde Park and quickly carried on
with a very busy life. In typical
caring and supportive fashion, Pam
maintained a healthy relationship
with Ed and remained strongly
connected to the Jewish
community, Beit Shalom and the
Sisterhood. A true testament to her
character and another example of
her selfless nature in general.
Pam went on to study at night
school and obtain her accounting
diploma, she then went on to work
for a number of Corporate
businesses in Adelaide and
eventually joined her husband Peter
in his computer business as the
finance manager.
Pam and Peter spent much of their
free time travelling Australia and
overseas when time permitted.
However their real passion and
escape was at Mount Compass
where they renovated a gorgeous
little cottage on a small acreage.
Pam quickly adapted to country
life and soon became a green
thumb, planting a sprawling
vegetable garden and cultivating
the most enviable cottage garden in
all of Mount Compass. Pam’s time
was stretched between work,
Mount Compass (most weekends)
and a very hectic social calendar
that even her children envied!
At all times Pam ensured her
children were heavily invested in
the responsibilities of the home,
contributing to maintenance,
cleaning and chores during the
school holidays. Of course, plenty
of renovation skills were quickly
developed to improve the cottage
at Mount Compass.
As a mother Pam provided
constant encouragement to her
children to learn and develop as
individuals, encouraging their
passions and hobbies, supporting
evolving career changes and
reinforcing the importance of
independence, more importantly
insisting that life is about being
Cont’d on page 10
Page 10
Sisterhood Report
Working Bee
Now is the time for all good men and women
to come to the cleaning party.
As the New Year approaches it's time to spruce up the shul.
Sunday 6th September starting 12.00pm
With sausage sizzle 12.30pm onwards.
It's not like cleaning your own house; this is a team
activity which is fun and rewarding.
Also it's not too long to the High Holy Days,
so it's a great opportunity to rack up the Mitzvah points.
Contact Ruth Gilbert for more details.
happy!
Pam remains actively involved in
her children’s life. Soon after Grant
got engaged to Mary, Pam and
Vanessa went on an overseas trip
together. Travelling through
England and Europe, Pam did a
stand-up job being mum and friend
on the backpackers trail with
Vanessa and in fact was mistaken
by many young travellers as
Vanessa’s sister!
As Grant and Vanessa moved on
and out of the nest to marry and
start their own families, Pam and
Peter began to change their worklife balance, well a little anyway!
Pam took on a part time accounting
position with a fabulous Real Estate
firm in North Adelaide while Peter
continued to work long hours in IT
commercialisation.
Pam was able to spend more time
with her grandchildren; Josh, Laura
(to Grant and Mary) and Ethan (to
Vanessa and Jim) and wherever
possible offered up her time to help
with extra babysitting or taking the
grandchildren away to Mount
Our Sisterhood AGM was held on
Saturday 25th July. Thanks to all
who attended and voted for our new
Sisterhood Executive. The line up
now includes:
Ruth Gilbert (President)
Rachel Gillespie (Vice-President)
Janet Henrie (Treasurer)
Marion Hoenig (Secretary).
Please come along with your rubber gloves, wire
brush and elbow grease to clean those hard to reach
parts of the shul.
Hello there to you all,
(cont’d)
Compass for extensive
grandparents time. Of course Grant
and Mary, Jim and Vanessa were
highly appreciative of the time and
energy Pam gave to her grandkids;
typically she would find creative
ways to entertain the kids and get
them involved in activities from
drawing and painting to digging
and just getting plain dirty in the
garden!
Being the social lady that she is, the
opportunity was there for Pam to
spend more time with her extensive
network of beautiful friends she had
developed over many decades.
There was time for the occasional
girls escape (and still is), and of
course many parties, events,
fundraising activities and other
support groups that Pam became
involved in over the years.
Surprisingly for many
who have not seen
Pam in her casual
attire,
outback
camping trips and
doing
it
rough
travelling
across
Australia became a
Cont’d on page 11
We also had the opportunity to
thank Pam Vroom for her forty-nine
years of membership on the
Executive. She and her whole
family attended the AGM, and Pam
received a commemorative leaf on
the Tree of Life, two hand-made
silk painted Challah covers and a
rose for her garden. When thanked
for her long service she said, ‘I
loved every minute of it’. Thanks
again Pam.
For our next Book Club book we’ll
be reading “A fifty year silence”
by Miranda Richmond Mouillot.
This book was recommended by
Marjorie Luno who has been
following our activities from
interstate. Thanks Marjorie. We'll
be discussing this book on Sunday
30th August at 10.30am at the
home of Eva Philips.
Another event on the agenda is the
Working Bee to clean up the shul
before the start of the new year.
This will be held on Sunday 6th
September. Starting at 12.00 and
with a sausage sizzle to start around
12.30, it’s time to get on the
Marigolds, scrub, wash and polish.
Not only is this a chance to rack up
the mitzvah points before the High
Holydays, but while in attendance at
shul during Rosh HaShanah and
Yom Kippur, you’ll be able to bask
in the feeling of a job well done.
Spring is on its way, so find a sunny
spot in the garden and maybe start
some reading.
Regards,
Ruth Gilbert,
Sisterhood President
Page 11
(cont’d)
Saturday 25 July the Sisterhood held
its AGM & honoured past Treasurer
Pam Vroom & retiring Secretary
Sylvia Barnes.
Then on Friday 14 August we
enjoyed a Pasta Oneg Dinner.
regular
preferred
getaway, sometimes just
Pam and Peter and other
times with a group of
friends from Mount
Compass, and yes Pam
did sleep on the floor in
a tent many times.
More recently Pam has
enjoyed the time she and Peter
spent travelling with friends
overseas to beautiful and raw
locations such as Bhutan and
Burma, figuring they needed to do
these things while they were still fit
enough to climb stairs.
Of course with age comes health
obstacles and on August 20, 2014
Pam suffered a significant stroke
after preventative stroke surgery.
With all the challenges Pam has
faced through her rehabilitation,
one must take their hat off to her for
her continued determination to get
back on track. Although Pam has
been left with a few impairments,
she continues to face life with a
happy demeanour and positive
attitude that needs to be
bottled. She is and
always will be the most
amazing woman who
continues to impress
and surprise many of us,
particularly her family
and close friends on a
regular basis.
Celebrations & Events
she is the shining light amongst us,
we all adore her!
And in Pam’s famous quote at the
Sisterhood recognition of her years
of service, all she could say when
she proudly stood up to make her
very brief departure and thank you
speech…
“I am sorry I didn’t make 50 years
of service.”
Well Pam, I think that 49
was pretty damn close, dear
girl!
We love you Pam, thank
you for being you!
Vanessa Savic
Pam is a rarity and it
goes without saying that
it’s a privilege to know
and love her!
Throughout her life, Pam has been
a giver, her commitment to look
after everyone else before herself,
her unrequited love for her family,
her deep emotional support are but
few of the many qualities Pam has.
Her family is blessed to have her,
Sukkah Decoration
Everyone is invited to help decorate our Sukkah on Sunday 27 September
at 10:30am. Please come with fruit, paper chains, balloons, cut outs, etc, to
decorate our Sukkah in preparation for the festival of Sukkot which starts
with a service that evening at 6:00pm. There will be a service on Monday
28 September at 10:30am. Please come to wave the lulav.
Page 12
Libcon Appeal 2015
Thank you to the following members who made contributions to
the 2015 Libcon Appeal for our Rabbinic Support Fund:
Aarons
Viv
Abrahamson
Shirley
Ades
Merrilyn
Ades
Jack & Lydia
Argy
Edwin
Bailey
Margot
Baltman
David & Gail
Barouche
Ralph & Denise
Barrett
Steffi
Belleli
Rina
Bloustien
Mark & Gerry
Bund
Richard & Jody
Bund
Trish
Cohen
Bernice
Culshaw
George & Ilana
Dreyer
Rosemary
Duncan
Bella
Dunn
Ruth
Eglinton
Pam & David
Fanok
Mirek
Galletta
Marie
Gilbert
Ruth
Gillespie
Rachel & Callum
Gold
Michael & Mandy
Goode
Matthew & Kitty
Gould
Vilma
Gubbay
Jack
Hanwit-Arney
Helen
Helman
Peter
Hoenig
Ron & Marion
Hyams
Sheila
Jacobson
Colin & Kenise
James
Danielle
Kasser
Joe
Katz/Roberts
Daniel & Jody
Kipperman/Fitzgerald Andrea & Ben
Koopowitz
Leslie & Belinda
Knopoff/Noble
Steven & Jill
Lenga
Pesa
Licinio/Wong
Julio & Ma-Li
Limareff
Heidi & Andrew
Lipert
Marie
Lipschitz
Allen & Mary
Lockshin/Henrie
Janet & Larry
Luno
Marjorie
Marcus/Cozens
Alison & Matthew
Marshall/Muecke
Ruth & Tim
Mayo
Raya
Mendels
Allan & Pamela
Newall
James
Ninio
Henry & Lynette
O’Connor
Tilmann & Ainslie
Pearlman
Robert z”l & Linley
Peisach
Ron & Jill
Peisach
Uri
Phillips
Eva
Pincus
Hermina
Popelka-Filcoff
Rachel & David
Poulton
Desiree
Richardson
Penny
Rogers
Garry & Lisa
Ronai
Kay
Rudnick
Arthur & Beverly
Sag
Danny
Sag/Blakeley
Rachel & Stuart
Sag
Tom & Marianne
Sheldon
Philip & Karen
Somers/Rachootin
Ron & Pam
Staska
Dorothy & Paul
Steiner
Andrew & Helen
Stevens
Judith
Sulan
John & Ali
Temple
Eva
Trifoi
Sarah Nurit Aurora
Tuckfield
Eva z”l
Vyshovsky
Maya
Zetlein
Leslie & Teresa
Zuckerman
Lorre
Gardening Thank Yous
The Gardening Group wishes to thank Ori Henderson-Sapir for his help and
energy in helping me install the watering system for the Beit Shalom garden
and to arrange the stakes to mark out the extended area for the car park.
Arthur Rudnick
Thanks also to Pesa Lenga for her donation of an Echo Vac-Sac outdoor
vacuum for use by Beit Shalom’s gardening team.
Rabbi David
Kopstein’s Book
Following on from last month, an
email received from Rabbi David
says his book is to be published in
early November. Mazel Tov!
The Rabbi Who Knew Too Much is the
story of Jonathan Jacob Kadison, a
young man from Minneapolis who
is inspired by the Six-Day War to
settle on a border kibbutz in Israel.
As the kibbutz comes under fire
from the other side of the Jordan,
Jonathan spends his days helping
build the community’s defenses.
But when idealism leads to
disillusionment, he leaves the Holy
Land for the Golden State to go
into the “family business” and
become a rabbi—a tradition that
spans thirteen generations.
Soon he is called to a pulpit in New
Zealand, where he stumbles over
some covert information that
Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and
Special Operations—the Mossad—
will do anything to keep hidden.
Travel the world with JJ Kadison
from the Midwest to the Middle
East, then to California, the South
Pacific, Dubai, and Singapore in
this fictional memoir that goes
behind the scenes of some recent
real-world events and provides a
rabbi’s-eye view on ethnicity,
patriotism, vengeance, and justice.
Rabbi David suggests that Beit
Shalom organizes a bulk order to
save on shipping costs. He wants to
inscribe each copy personally and
will work out an adjusted price for
us.
Please let Marie in the office know
if you would like to order Rabbi
David Kopstein’s book The Rabbi
Who Know Too Much. Check out his
website for more information:
rabbidavidkopstein.com
“With best wishes for the coming
New Year from Patti & David &
the whole Kopstein mishpacha.”
Page 13
Upcoming Events
Payments can be made to Beit Shalom via direct bank transfer to:
BSB: 035-000
Account No: 480876
Library News
New items in the library this
month.
Thanks to Helen Bridgland for
donating these CDs:
“Joseph Achron: music for violin
& piano”
“Violin concertos: Bruch,
Mendelssohn, Dvorak,
Tchaikovsky”
“Alexander Kipnis: opera arias
and songs”
“Matisyahu live at Stubb's”
“Matisyahu: youth”
“Schmelvis: in search of Elvis
Presley's Jewish roots” by
Jonathan Goldstein & Max
Wallace.
“Paul Newman collection” DVD
5 disc set, including the film
“Exodus”.
Thanks to Lorre Zuckerman for
donating:
“Mazel: a novel” by Rebecca
Goldstein.
Thanks to Meg Thomson for
donating the following books:
“A day at Qumran: the Dead Sea
sect and its scrolls”.
“People of the Book: an artistic
exploration of the Bible” by Jossi
Stern.
“Judaism in stone: the archaeology
of ancient synagogues” by Hershel
Shanks.
“The modern Jewish mom's guide to
Shabbat” by Meredith L. Jacobs.
“The Kabbalah of food: conscious
eating for physical, emotional and
spiritual health” by Rabbi Nilton
Bonder.
“The Jewish cuisine I love” by
Jules J. Bond
“The Jewish princess cookbook:
having your cake and eating it” by
Georgie Tarn & Tracey Fine.
Children's books:
“David” by Max Bolliger.
“Shimmee and the Taste-Me-Tree”.
“Rhymeland for Jewish children”.
“Hear, O Israel: first I say the
Shema”.
“Purim: a joyous holiday”.
“Hannukkah legends and oddities”.
“The wonderful world of Jewish
holidays”.
Penny Richardson, Librarian
Page 14
Rabbi’s Column—A Very Special Club
By my reckoning, around 80% of
our membership was born
overseas, and many of those born
in Australia are not originally
from South Australia. That means
that many of us at Beit Shalom
have shared the distressing
experience of rushing back to our
hometowns upon receiving bad
news. Many of us have done it,
yet for each of us the experience
is unique. It was my sad duty to
do so at the start of August and to
be at my mother's side for her last
days. Among those who have
been in a similar position, I was
“fortunate,” because I was able to
be with my mother when she
passed away. It certainly gives a
whole new spin to the word
“fortunate!”
I cannot even begin to count the
number of expressions of
kindness I received while my
mother was gravely ill and once
she had died. So many Beit
Shalom members reached out to
me from across the ocean. A
number of people wrote that they
appreciated that words could offer
little comfort to me at this time,
but they were wrong. I was
indeed comforted by beautiful
expressions of shared sorrow and
understanding I received from so
many.
I was further comforted by the
Minyan that Merrilyn Ades so
beautifully led upon my return
and by the quiet reassuring
presence of dozens of you on that
evening. It was a sorrowful
homecoming, but a homecoming
nevertheless. My prayer is that
others within our community who
experience such sadness will be
similarly comforted. In the
meantime, please accept my
heartfelt thanks to all of you for
your expressions of condolence. I
will always be grateful.
Stepping Way Outside My
Comfort Zone
On July 27, I flew from Denpasar
to Jakarta to begin my great
Indonesian adventure. If you
haven't read about it, you are still
very welcome to have a look at the
blog that I kept during that time,
despite often challenging internet
conditions! It is located at http://
rabbiinindonesia.weebly.com/
You'll need to scroll all the way to
the bottom for the start of the blog
entries and then work your way up.
My colleague Rabbi David Kunin
and I met with about fifty people
representing
four
different
communities within Indonesia, and
then Rabbi Kunin continued on to
Ambon in eastern Indonesia once I
left for the United States. Many of
those we met come from a strongly
evangelical Christian background,
and they see Judaism as much
more of a faith than we do. This
was different and at times rather
uncomfortable for me. But I had to
keep asking myself the question of
how much my western, liberal
Jewish sensibility limits my
understanding of what is possible
within Judaism.
What's more, those I met were
overwhelmingly
warm
and
welcoming, and I thoroughly enjoyed
my time in Indonesia. I am hoping
that this is the start of a long-term
relationship and will look forward to
my next visit.
September Notes
There will be no Tot Shabbat or
Contemporary Music Shabbat service
in September due to the abundance of
Jewish festivals! Please do plan to
come along for the children's services
on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,
as well as for the Erev Sukkot service
on September 27, which will feature
lots of singing and celebration.
Shana tova!
Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky
In the end, I was deeply touched
by the depth of seriousness and
faithfulness of those I met, many
of whom have made significant
sacrifices to lead Jewish lives.
10:00am Cheder
10:00am Cheder
6:00pm Service
10:30am Sukkah
Decoration
27 Erev Sukkot
20
6:00pm Service
10:00am Cheder
HaShanah
13 Erev Rosh
12 noon Working Bee
& Sausage Sizzle
6
Sunday
10:30am Service
28 Sukkot
21
9:30am Children’s
Service
10:30am Service
14 Rosh HaShanah
7
Monday
12:30pm JCS Rosh
HaShanah Luncheon
29 Sukkot
7:00pm Kol Nidrei
Service
22 Erev Yom Kippur
15 Rosh HaShanah
8
10:30am JCS Cooking
with Na’ama
1
Tuesday
September 2015
7:30pm Board
Meeting
30 Sukkot
9:30am Children’s
Service
10:30am Service
23 Yom Kippur
16
9
2
Wednesday
24
17
10
3
6:00pm Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
6:00pm Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
6:00pm Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
6:00pm Kabbalat
Shabbat Service
26
19
12
5
10:30am Shabbat
Service
10:30am Shabbat
Service
10:30am Shabbat
Service
10:30am Shabbat
Service
Saturday
Upcoming Events for your Diary:
25
18
11
4
Friday
Sunday 4 October—Simchat Torah Pre-Neg & Oneg Dinner
Monday 5 October—Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret Service
Tuesday 13 October—Framing the Other
Friday to Sunday 16 to 18 October—Shabbaton Camp at Iron Bank
Thursday
Elul 5775 / Tishrei 5776
Beit Shalom Calendar
Adelaide Progressive Jewish Congregation
DIRECTORY
‫מדריך‬
PRESIDENT:
RABBI:
Ron Hoenig ........................................................ 8272-1971
..................................................... ronhoenig@bigpond.com
Shoshana Kaminsky ............................................. 8362-8281
Mobile .............................................................. 0435-050-415
............................................ shoshana.kaminsky@gmail.com
TREASURER:
Sue Musry .......................................................... 8293-5845
.......................................................... musry@adam.com.au
SISTERHOOD:
SECRETARY/MAGAZINE EDITOR:
Marie Galletta ....................................................... 8362-8281
...................................................bshalom@bshalomadel.com
Ruth Gilbert ................................................... 0421-008-981
......................................................... heyruth@bigpond.com
LIBRARIAN:
JUDAICA SHOP:
CHOIR CO-ORDINATOR:
Merrilyn Ades ..................................................... 8362-8281
................................................. merades@internode.on.net
Janet Henrie ......................................................... 8362-8281
ARCHIVIST:
Ron Hoenig, Janet Henrie, Sue Musry,
Ruth Gilbert, Penny Main, Billie Hocking................ 8362-8281
Ilana Culshaw .................................................... 8362-8281
Penny Richardson ................................................ 8362-8281
HONORARY SHAMUS:
REMEMBER THE HOLOCAUST:
Art and the Holocaust
Please visit the Virtual Exhibition devised, curated
and funded by Andrew Steiner, artist, historian
and Holocaust survivor at:
www.youtube.com/user/andrewsteinerartist
If undelivered return to:
BEIT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
PO BOX 47, STEPNEY 5069
PRINT POST APPROVED No. PP 542651 0007
Remember:
Deadline for submission of articles for the
Beit Shalom Magazine is 20th of the month

September - Beit Shalom

Transcription

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