the shofar - Blacksburg Jewish Community Center

THE SHOFAR
The Monthly Bulletin of the BJCC
April 2016 / Adar II to Nisan 5776
Blacksburg Jewish Community Center
Corner of Church and Roanoke Streets, PO Box 782
Blacksburg, VA 24063 (540) 300-BJCC
Web site: www.bjccblacksburg.org
SCHEDULE OF SHABBAT SERVICES
[Saturday Shabbat services begin at 10:00 AM]
SERVICES
April 2–Sh'mini–Reform–M. Kranowski
April 9–Tazria–Reform–S&M Kranowski
April 16–Metzora–Reform–E. Hallerman**
**Potluck lunch today
April 23–1st day of Passover–Reform–E. Hallerman
April 30–8th day of Passover–Conservative–M&S
Kranowski
VISIT BY RABBI GLAZER, APR. 7
Rabbi Chana Leslie Glazer, the new rabbi of Beth Israel
Synagogue in Roanoke, will visit the BJCC on Wed.,
Apr. 7 at 7:00 PM for a brief, informal meet-and-greet
with our members, followed by a presentation on the
topic "Introduction to Mussar (Jewish Ethics)—Why is it
so hard to be good?" Everyone is invited to meet Rabbi
Glazer and hear her talk. Refreshments will be served.
INTERFAITH VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE,
APR. 8
Ruth Grene, our Tzedakah Chair, together with members
of several faith communities across the NRV, invite you
to participate in an Interfaith Service on Apr. 8 at 6:00
PM at Asbury United Methodist Church in
Christiansburg. Our own service leader, Rebecca
Scheckler, will be a part of the service entitled "Interfaith
Voices Against Violence". Please bring some finger
food, enough for four other people, to share for our
reception after the service. Please contact Ruth for
further information, and see the attached information
sheet.
MEMORIAL DISPLAY UNVEILING, APR. 9
Please join us for the unveiling of a memorial display in
honor of Meir Schneller at the BJCC on Sat., Apr. 9 at
4:00 PM. The display was generously donated by Debora
Schneller, and she invites you to join her and her family
for the unveiling and a short reception to follow.
POTLUCK LUNCH, APRIL 16
On Apr. 16, we'll hold our regular potluck lunch after
services (about 11:30 AM). Please bring a dairy or veggie
dish to share.
HILLEL EVENTS FOR JEWISH CULTURAL
MONTH
Hillel is hosting several events in April. Please see the
attached flyer. Also see Hillel calendar, and obtain more
info at http://hillelatvirginiatech.com.
CULTURAL EVENTS IN APRIL
 Amy Gottlieb, The Beautiful Possible: A Novel, Apr.
14, time and location TBD. Author Amy Gottlieb will
read from her new novel, The Beautiful Possible
(Harper Perennial, 2016) and discuss her process of
writing Jewish historical fiction.
 The Rose Ensemble, Land of Three Faiths: Voices of
Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims,
Apr. 19; 7:30 PM, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. The
result of years of intensive research and training, the
Land of Three Faiths concert is at once sacred, secular,
folk, and classical music, embarking on a fascinating
exploration of language, spirituality, and cultural
exchange.
BOB GILETTE, APR. 26
Bob Gillette of Lynchburg will speak at the BJCC on
Tues., Apr. 26 at 5:30 PM, followed by a potluck dinner.
Please bring your favorite veggie/dairy Kosher for
Passover dish to share. This presentation is geared for
middle school and up. Babysitting can be arranged for
younger children if you inform Wendy in advance.
Mr. Gillette’s presentation will be about The Virginia
Plan, an effort to rescue a group of Jewish teenagers from
Nazi Germany in the 1930s and bring them to an
agricultural training school in Virginia. He has written
two books about it. Please RSVP by Apr. 20 to Wendy
Silverman wssilverman at gmail.com or 540-239-5918 to
say you'll be there for the meal and also if you need
babysitting for younger children.
The Shofar 1
SHOFAR DEADLINE, APR. 24
The deadline for submitting news for the next issue of the
Shofar is April 24. Send information to Richard at richard
@ vt.edu.
.
April 2016 / Adar II- Nisan 5776
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
22 Adar II 5776
23 Adar II 5776
Parashat Sh’mini
Reform service
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
24 Adar II 5776
25 Adar II 5776
26 Adar II 5776
27 Adar II 5776
28 Adar II 5776
Visit by Rabbi
Glazer
29 Adar II 5776
Interfaith Voices
against Violence
1 Nisan 5776
Parashat Tazria
Rosh Chodesh
Nisan Shabbat
HaChodesh
Reform service,
and Memorial
unveiling (4:00
PM)
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
2 Nisan 5776
3 Nisan 5776
4 Nisan 5776
5 Nisan 5776
6 Nisan 5776
Amy Gottlieb
reads from her
novel
7 Nisan 5776
8 Nisan 5776
Parashat Metzora
Shabbat HaGadol
21
22
23
13 Nisan 5776
14 Nisan 5776
Erev Pesach
15 Nisan 5776
Pesach I
17
18
19
20
9 Nisan 5776
10 Nisan 5776
11 Nisan 5776
12 Nisan 5776
The Rose
Ensemble concert
Reform service
28
24
25
16 Nisan 5776
Pesach II
20 Nisan 5776
17 Nisan 5776
19 Nisan 5776
21 Nisan 5776
18 Nisan 5776
Pesach III (CH''M) Pesach IV (CH''M) Pesach V (CH''M) Pesach VI (CH''M) Pesach VII
Shofar deadline
for May issue
26
Bob Gilette talk
and potluck
dinner
27
Reform service
and potluck lunch
29
30
22 Nisan 5776
Pesach VIII
Conserv. Service
The Shofar 2
BJCC Officers and Board Members 2015-16
(These email addresses are being protected against automatic spamming with a space before and after the @ sign.
If you use one of these addresses, be sure to key it without the spaces. Phone numbers are in the 540 area code.)
President
President-elect (V.P.)
Past President
Treasurer
Secretary
Religious School Chair
Sunday School director
Community Service/Tzedaka Chair
Religion Chair
Social Chair
Building Chairs
Shofar Editor
Board members-at-large
BJCC listserv keeper
Membership Chair
Hillel Comm. Board President
Hillel Director
Aaron Goldstein
Linda Deemer
Rebecca Scheckler
Steve Scheckler
Rhea Epstein
Lauren Colliver
Patricia Arav
Ruth Greene
Muriel Kranowski
Ellen Piilonen
Steve Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Richard Hirsh
Madeline Schreiber
Wendy Silverman
Muriel Kranowski
552-9050
951-2933
980-4247
980-4247
552-9028
552-2888
951-3221
951-5078
239-2524
231-5601
552-1242
552-2888
Virginia Tech Hillel Officers
Alicia Cohen
Sue Kurtz
953-2045
goldst @ vt.edu
lrdeemer @ comcast.net
rscheckler @ radford.edu
stephen @ vt.edu
repstein @ vt.edu
lcolliver @ gmail.com
patricia.oreo @ gmail.com
greneruth @ gmail.com
murielk @ vt.edu
ellenp @ vt.edu
sjacobs07 @ comcast.net
rhirsh @ vt.edu
mekeesee @ gmail.com
wssilverman @ gmail.com
murielk @ vt.edu
acohen @ vt.edu
hillel @ vt.edu
The Shofar 3
Interfaith Voices Against Violence
April 8th, 2016
Asbury United Methodist Church
500 Stuart St, Christiansburg
We gather in sorrowful
remembrance
of recent acts of violence,
near and far.
We celebrate the hope
our different faith traditions
hold for peace.
Service: 6pm
Reception: 7:15pm
We will hear from leaders
of faith communities across the NRV:
Rev. Robert Berghuis,
Asbury United Methodist Church
Rev. Karen Day,
Plenty!, Floyd
Fr. Jarek Nowacki,
St.Jude Catholic Church
Rev. Dara Olandt,
Unitarian Universialist Congregation Blacksburg,
Dr. Hesham Rakha,
Islamic Society of NRV,
and Dr. Rebecca Scheckler,
Blacksburg Jewish Community Center.
We remember the shootings at VT,
the Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville,
Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT, and
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC.
We remember the shootings of Muslim students in Chapel Hill, NC,
the violence inherent in deportations of immigrants,
and the ongoing systematic violence against black men and women across the U.S.
Event Sponsored by the NRV Chapter of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Jewish Cultural Month 2016 “Knowing Our Roots” Schedule of Events in April 2016 Friday, April 1, 2016 “Photoshop Law,” Israeli Doctor, Rachel Adato 5:00pm‐7:30pm, Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for Jewish Life (710 Toms Creek Road, Blacksburg, VA) Dr. Rachel Adato, an Israeli doctor and champion of healthy body images, will visit Virginia Tech and share her thoughts about Israel’s “Photoshop Law” and the social and political consequences of over‐
editing and hypersexualizing the depiction of female bodies. Dr. Adato was the first female gynecologist in Jerusalem and practiced medicine for twelve years before serving as a member of the Israeli Parliament. During her tenure in the government, Adato was the chairperson of the Welfare and Health Committee and advocated for a “Photoshop Law” which banned ads featuring underweight models. Cost: Free Sponsor: Hillel at Virginia Tech Contact: Laura Jacobs, hillel@vt.edu Monday, April 4, 2016 Help Us Plant A Tree! 12:00pm‐2:00pm, Information Booth A, Squires Student Center In the Jewish faith, there are many ways to celebrate, honor and commemorate the life of loved ones to help carry on traditions, customs and rituals. In Judaism, it is important to perpetuate the life and legacy of friends, family and ancestors no longer here for future generations. The significance draws upon the roots of a tree, connection to Israel and even the expansion of tree branches. Conceptually, the seeds of trees spread wide and far like humans do, across the entire world. Since the tree planting effort began, hundreds of picnic areas, forests, and parklands have been created helping to expand the greening of the land beyond Jerusalem. Sponsor: Jewish Student Union (JSU) Contact: Zach Greenwald, zachdg2@vt.edu Tuesday, April 5, 2016 Reading of the Names 9:00am‐6:00pm, Virginia Tech Drillfield Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, takes place each year on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Jews around the world hold memorials and vigils, often lighting six candles in honor of the six million Holocaust victims. At Virginia Tech, we organize a Reading of the Names ceremony on the Drillfield to memorialize those who were murdered. Reading the names of the men, women, and children killed during the Holocaust is a symbolic yet personal way of remembering these individuals. Cost: Free Sponsors: Hillel at Virginia Tech, the Division of Student Affairs and the Intercultural Engagement Center Contact: Gregory Milhiser, hillel@vt.edu 1
Friday, April 8, 2016 Avi Shabbat 6:00pm‐8:00pm, Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for Jewish Life (710 Toms Creek Road, Blacksburg, VA) In the Jewish faith, Shabbat is viewed as a time to focus on what really matters. It serves as a weekly time to grow one’s inner spirit and experience gratitude for our lives and our communities. Shabbat offers the opportunity to sing, meditate, and learn together as a community. A festive meal follows the conclusion of this period of reflection. Hillel at Virginia Tech invites students of all faiths to join them for this meaningful gathering. The Avi Shabbat program is an annual event organized by Hillel centers across North America to bring together diverse students on campus for a communal meal and shared conversations. An open, interfaith service will begin at 6:00pm, followed by a delicious, free kosher dinner at 7:00pm. Cost: Free Sponsors: Hillel at Virginia Tech and Avi Schaefer Fund Contact: Niki Selz, hillel@vt.edu Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Learn How to Kosher for Passover a Kitchen 9:00am‐6:00pm, Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for Jewish Life (710 Toms Creek Road, Blacksburg, VA) A Masgiach, or a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment, will visit the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center over the course of three days and supervise the koshering of the Hillel kitchen for Passover. Students are invited to participate in this educational event, during which they learn, discuss, and practice ancient customs of kashrut and engage with Jewish texts on this subject. Cost: Free Sponsor: Hillel at Virginia Tech Contact: Madison Madrazo, hillel@vt.edu Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Jewish and African American Gospel Singer, Yavilah McCoy 6:00pm, Old Dominion Ballroom, Squires Student Center Yavilah McCoy is an African American and Jewish teacher, writer, diversity consultant and gospel performer. Participate in an educational session on Civil Rights led by Yavilah, and engage with her as she performs and teaches Jewish gospel. Yavilah’s programs aim to provide a safe space through narrative and song to explore social justice in the context of an African American‐Jewish journeying in the U.S. and to celebrate and expand the understanding of present and historical connections between activism and spirituality. Cost: Free Sponsors: Hillel at Virginia Tech, the Jewish Student Union (JSU), the Black Organizations Council (BOC), the Division of Student Affairs and the Intercultural Engagement Center Contact: Or Shaked, israelfellow@hillelatvirginiatech.org 2
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Lunchtime Chat with Jewish and African American Gospel Singer, Yavilah McCoy 11:30am‐1:00pm, Multicultural Center (MCC), Squires Student Center You are invited to join Yavilah McCoy, an African American and Jewish teacher, writer, diversity consultant and gospel performer, for an open dialogue surrounding racial, religious and cultural differences in American and international communities. Feel free to bring your lunch. Cost: Free Sponsors: Hillel at Virginia Tech, the Jewish Student Union (JSU), the Black Organizations Council (BOC), the Division of Student Affairs and the Intercultural Engagement Center Contact: Or Shaked, israelfellow@hillelatvirginiatech.org Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Learn How to Kosher for Passover a Kitchen 9:00am‐6:00pm, Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for Jewish Life (710 Toms Creek Road, Blacksburg, VA) A Masgiach, or a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment, will visit the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center over the course of three days and supervise the koshering of the Hillel kitchen for Passover. Students are invited to participate in this educational event, during which they learn, discuss, and practice ancient customs of kashrut and engage with Jewish texts on this subject. Cost: Free Sponsor: Hillel at Virginia Tech Contact: Madison Madrazo, hillel@vt.edu Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Tikkun Olam‐Repairing the World 7:00pm‐9:00pm, Auditorium, Graduate Life Center The Hebrew phrase tikkun olam (pronounced tee‐KOON oh‐LUHM) means “Repairing the World." In modern Jewish circles, tikkun olam has become synonymous with the notion of social action and the pursuit of social justice. The phrase is used when discussing issues of social policy, insuring a safeguard to those who may be at a disadvantage. Humanity's responsibility to change, improve, and fix its earthly surroundings is powerful. It implies that each person has a hand in working towards the betterment of his or her own existence as well as the lives of future generations. More simply, it is important for Jews to participate in repairing the world by participating in tzedakah (justice and righteousness) and g'milut hasadim (acts of loving kindness). Without their stake in the improvement of their environment, injustice and evil will continue to exist. Cost: Free Sponsors: Jewish Student Union and Ask Big Questions Contact: Zach Greenwald, zachdg2@vt.edu 3
Thursday, April 14, 2016 HokieBird Bar Mitzvah 6:00pm‐9:00pm, Sharkey’s Restaurant (220 North Main Street, Blacksburg, VA) A Bar Mitzvah ceremony is a time‐honored rite of passage for the Jewish people during which a child transitions into adulthood. To honor this special occasion, family and friends are often invited to a celebratory party. Hillel at Virginia Tech invites all students to join them at Sharkey’s to celebrate the end of Jewish Cultural Month with the symbolic Bar Mitzvah of the HokieBird. Expect great food, great music and great dancing. Cost: Free Sponsor: Hillel at Virginia Tech Contact: Laura Jacobs, hillel@vt.edu Thursday, April 14, 2016 Amy Gottlieb, The Beautiful Possible: A Novel 7:00 pm, Fralin Auditorium, Fralin Hall Author Amy Gottlieb will read from her new novel, The Beautiful Possible (Harper Perennial, 2016) and discuss her process of writing Jewish historical fiction. Spanning seventy years and several continents, The Beautiful Possible follows a postwar love triangle between an American rabbi, his wife, and a German‐Jewish refugee. Cost: Free Sponsors: The Malcolm and Diane Rosenberg Program in Judaic Studies in the Department of Religion and Culture Contact: Peter Schmitthenner, pschmitt@vt.edu Tuesday, April 19, 2016 The Rose Ensemble, "Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims" 7:30 pm, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, Blacksburg The result of years of intensive research and training, "Land of Three Faiths" concert is at once sacred, secular, folk, and classical music, embarking on a fascinating exploration of language, spirituality, and cultural exchange. Featuring instruments and musical ideas that blur the lines between Arabic and European, this entertaining and enlightening program is steeped in the rich history of the Abrahamic faiths, achieving a perfect balance of edgy improvisation, exotic vocal styles, and ancient traditions. Cost: Tickets $15/general, $12/senior, $7/student, via Virginia Tech Student Engagement and Campus Life Ticket Office in the Squires Student Center. Sponsors: The School of Performing Arts, the Malcolm and Diane Rosenberg Judaic Studies Program in Department of Religion and Culture, and the Residential College at West Ambler Johnston at Virginia Tech Contact: Betsy Crone, ecrone@vt.edu 4
Friday, April 22, 2016 Passover 5:00pm‐7:30pm, Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center for Jewish Life (710 Toms Creek Road, Blacksburg, VA) The holiday of Passover celebrates the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery in the land of Egypt. We invite the Virginia Tech community to join us for a festival meal and a retelling of the Passover story. Pursue unwavering curiosity and learn more about the Jewish culture, faith, and heritage at this important holiday celebration. Cost: $36 per person. Tickets may be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hillel‐at‐vt‐passover‐
seder‐2016‐tickets‐21328596406?aff=ehomecard. Sponsor: Hillel at Virginia Tech Contact: Simon Neft, hillel@vt.edu 5