Congregation Ahavas Achim

Congregation
Ahavas Achim
THE COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE OF
THE MONADNOCK REGION.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
The
Bulletin
From the Rabbi's Desk
For Congregation Ahavas Achim, a major
source of pride is our ability to be a cohesive
community even though our membership is
quite diverse. Members come from varying
Jewish backgrounds, have converted from other
religions to Judaism, or are our non-Jewish fellow travelers.
As a relatively small Jewish community we can
and do appreciate each and every member. The
contributions that members bring make it possible for Jewish life to thrive in the Monadnock
region. These contributions of time, money,
and caring combine together to support a fulltime rabbi, a beautiful building, and a wide
range of offerings to meet our religious, cultural, intellectual, social, and life cycle needs.
Entering our hundredth anniversary as a congregation, we can reflect on how Jewish life has
changed since 1915. It would have been hard
for our forebears to anticipate some of the social
realities which we take for granted today. In
these hundred years, as changes came, members needed to work together to figure out how
to respond.
Roles of women in American society shifted
considerably, as women received the national
right to vote in 1920 and began to participate
more fully in public life. So too, within the
Keene Jewish community, women who had
always been active in supporting roles, began
UPCOMING EVENTS
Special Yahrzeit Service & Concert . . . .
New Member Shabbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CAA Movie Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jews and Comic Books Lecture . . . . . . .
See inside for details.
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Rabbi Amy Loewenthal
to move into the mainstream of synagogue life.
Forty years ago, in a reflection of this shifting
reality, the synagogue by-laws were amended
so that women could be included in a minyan
"provided ten men are not present." At first,
women were only counted if it was inconvenient to fetch an additional man or two to make
the minyan for a weeknight yahrzeit. As time
went on, it became natural to allow women to
count on an equal basis with men.
Even as the congregation accepted a change
in the definition of who could be counted in
a minyan, the congregation remained loyal to
(continued on page 2)
January/February
Jan. 1
Jan. 8
Jan. 9
Jan. 13
Jan. 15
Jan. 17
Jan. 22
Jan. 23
Jan. 29
Jan. 30
Feb. 5
Feb. 6
Feb. 10
Feb. 12
Feb. 13
Feb. 19
Feb. 20
Feb. 26
Special Yahrzeit Service
7:00 PM
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto 7:30 PM
Traditional Shabbat Service
7:00 PM
Shabbat at Judy Rubin’s Home10:00 AM
Board of Directors Meeting
7:00 PM
Meditation
6:15 PM
Contemplative Shabbat Service7:00 PM
Jews and Comic Books
3:00 PM
Short Shabbat Service
7:00 PM
Meditation
9:00 AM
Shabbat Shirah at BAJC
10:00 AM
Potluck
6:00 PM
New Member Shir Shabbat
7:00 PM
Movie Night – “Arranged”
7:00 PM
Short Shabbat Service
7:00 PM
Meditation
9:00 AM
Torah Service
10:00 AM
Board of Directors Meeting
7:00 PM
Traditional Shabbat Service
7:00 PM
Snowshoeing at Stonewall 10:00 AM
Farm (and possible sleigh ride)
Meditation
6:15 PM
Contemplative Shabbat Service7:00 PM
Movie Night - 7:00 PM
“When Jews Were Funny”
Shir Shabbat Service
7:00 PM
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the requirement to assemble
a minimum of ten Jews for
important prayers, including
Kaddish.
Theoretically, finding it difficult to consistently assemble
ten Jewish men for prayer,
the congregation could have
Rabbi Loewenthal
redefined “minyan” as a lesser number, or could have opted
to completely lift the requirement for a minyan.
Let’s explore the qualitative differences
between these options for change:
a) redefining minyan as a lesser number, or
doing away with the requirement for minyan
b) allowing women to count in a minyan
Minyan is a time-honored Jewish concept. The
requirement for a minyan for certain ritual
behaviors, including saying Mourner’s Kaddish,
first appears in Mishnah Megillah 4:3 and is
elaborated on in Babylonian Talmud Megillah
23b. Was this textual basis a strong factor in
the congregation’s affirming the need for a
minyan for Kaddish? It seems unlikely that text
study was a major basis for decision, because a
thorough search might have also uncovered a
minority opinion text suggesting that seven or
even six could make a minyan.
Was minhag, long-standing Jewish tradition, a
decisive factor in affirming the need for minyan? We have a strong need for continuity of
Jewish practice in a recognizable form. Early
halachic authorities said “Minhag Israel k’Din
Hu" - that a custom taken up by a community
gains a status as if it was law. The community
valued the well-established minhag of requiring ten for minyan. They strove to preserve this
minhag, even though, at times, it was difficult
to fulfill.
But the perceptive reader might point out here:
wasn’t it also minhag that the minyan must be
composed of men? On what basis did the community feel strongly to uphold the minhag of
minyan and simultaneously feel strongly to
overturn the minhag of counting only men?
With these questions in mind, it was time to
go to the source. I called Doc Cohen, who had
guided the 1975 change. He told me that the
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decision to count Florence Lipsky, Ruth Cohen,
and Charlotte Kapiloff (may their memories
be for a blessing) in a minyan arose from two
impulses. One was pragmatism: since these
three upstanding Jewish women were normally
present at weeknight services for yahrzeit, along
with seven Jewish men, why not consider that
a minyan?
The other factor was an impulse to honor
these women who were Jewish exemplars in
the community. They deserved recognition
for their substantial support of Jewish life in
Keene. If they mattered, shouldn’t they count?
Doc helped to make it so.
Doc felt very good about guiding this change,
as well as guiding the change to allow samesex Jewish couples to be married in the synagogue. He sees the underlying principle as one
of inclusion, finding ways to lower barriers
that prevent Jews from participating in Jewish
tradition.
Some Jewish phrases for this value of Inclusion
are “K’vod HaBryiot” – the idea that all humans
deserve respect, and its corollary “B’tzelem
Elokim” – the understanding that each person
was created in G-d’s image. These are foundational principles of Jewish ethics, and as such,
function at a higher level than minhag.
What Doc had proposed was to make a change
to the minhag of counting only men. Although
the question arose from need, the solution was
gratifying, since it honored these larger principles of Torah and of modern civilization.
And what values were inherent in the congregation’s preserving the requirement for minyan
at that juncture in 1975? Doc acknowledged
minyan as a “tradition that we were born and
raised with,” but we dug further into what
is encapsulated in the idea of minyan. Jewish
death and mourning traditions show a sophisticated understanding of human psychological
needs. Particularly at a time of grief, we need
each other.
At a time that we as mourners might reflexively want to isolate ourselves, needing a
minyan for Kaddish requires us to not separate
ourselves from the community. And each of us,
in turn, is obligated, if possible, to show up for
the mourner. We need a minyan for the mitzvah
of comforting the mourners through enabling
Kaddish. Therefore, the need for minyan promotes a sense of responsibility for one another,
mutual interdependency, and social cohesion.
The community preserved the minhag of minyan, a time-honored and communally powerful
Jewish concept. The practice of non-inclusion
of women was overturned, reinforcing the
principle of K’vod HaBryiot.
As time went on, it became acceptable to say
Kaddish on the Friday night closest to the yahrzeit. That logistical adaptation made assembling a minyan much easier. On the other hand,
there are some members of our community
who seek the more traditional form of saying
Kaddish on the date of the yahrzeit itself. We are
happy to help assemble a minyan on a weeknight for them. As a community which values
our diversity, we do our best to honor the sensibilities of the more observant among us.
All branches of Judaism have had to figure out
how to respond to a changing world. Some
people mistakenly view Reconstructionist
Judaism as the movement quickest to jettison
traditional practices. On the contrary, Mordecai
Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionism,
advocated for maintaining our commitment to
traditional Jewish norms except in cases where
they were in conflict with the larger Torah and
humanist principles (e.g. where they hurt or
denigrated people).
Although the 1975 decision is an interesting
part of CAA history in itself, I bring it up as
a prism through which to look at change in
general. As we continue into our next hundred
years as a community, our ritual practices and
supporting policies will evolve. When we seek
to change ritual practice, I hope that we will
continue to be guided by the following considerations:
- how to honor the past
- how to lower barriers that prevent Jews from
participating in Jewish tradition
- how to maintain the social functions facilitated by the practice
- how to support members’ diverse expressions
of Judaism, including the more traditional
- how to find logistical solutions to address
conflicting needs
As Doc Cohen says about finding workable
ways to preserve our traditions, “It may be a
little more difficult for us, but then it’s not easy
to be a Jew!”
Rabbi Loewenthal
A Letter from the President
Some needs at Congregation Ahavas Achim
are very obvious. However, it also a big positive that various members see more subtle
needs and make proposals that really improve
things. For instance, we have clearly wanted
to improve our Adult Ed programming in
2015 and you have seen some of the improvements in the past year. Now, we would like to
improve our library.
Most of you probably have a vague knowledge
of our library. It is located downstairs, near
the Social Hall, in the room that used to be
“Micah’s Office”. My guess is that most of you
have little knowledge of what is in our library
or how you might borrow a book.
Jess Spear and Dale Rosenberg, as volunteers,
have spent a lot of time thinking of ways to
improve our library. Jess is a student at Keene
High School and the Youth Representative to
our Board of Directors. Starting in January, Jess
started a project where she touched every book
in our library. She either catalogued the important details of every book or weeded out books
that didn’t fit specific criteria. Jess entered the
information about each book into a spreadsheet
in order to establish a digital database. She
did a lot to organize the library and to make
it more inviting. She also has put some of our
more unique pieces on display.
Now Dale Rosenberg would like to take this
project a step further. Dale
has a Master’s Degree in
Library Science and she
is working with Celia
Rabinowitz, who is a librarian at Keene State College.
Some of Dale’s ideas include:
(1) Development of Library
Use policies
David Kochman
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(2) Establishing Collection Development policies
Congregation
Ahavas Achim
Rabbi Amy Loewenthal
(3) Minor reconfiguration of the Library Space
(4) Establishing a Book Group
(5) Display of Library Materials
THE COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE OF
THE MONADNOCK REGION.
(7) Establish Annotated Bibliographies
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015-2016
(8) Include a Library Column in the Bulletin
Officers:
President
David Kochman
903-0357
Vice-President
Jerry Kaufman
363-4481
Recording Secretary
Vivian Prunier 802-387-5875
Corresponding Secretary
Selena Katz
352-1644
Treasurer
398-5414
Jeff Cohen
Financial SecretaryScott Rodolitz 903-1211
Past President
242-3521
Paul Bieber
Trustees:
Serving until 2016 Trish Spear
Wendy Platt
David Butler
Serving until 2017Marni Silverstein
Martha Mills
Marty Reisig
Serving until 2018Judy Rubin
Roberta Visser
Ronnie Brown
363-8035
363-8230
588-8073
357-7443
860-670-2913
357-8415
363-8432
352-6184
240-304-7803
Bulletin Editor:
Barbara Green (585-9059)
blgreen@myfairpoint.net
Co-Editor
Sandy Kochman
sjkochman@yahoo.com
Printing and mailing of the Bulletin generously
provided by C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.
ADVERTISE!
Would you like to advertise your business in our
newsletter? A business card would be a nice
way to let our community know that you are
out there and inform them about what you are
doing. Advertising rates are $18 (chai=life=18)
an issue, or $85 a year (six issues). Please call
the synagogue (352-6747) or mail your card to
Congregation Ahavas Achim at 84 Hastings
Avenue.
Patronize our advertisers!
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(6) Coordination with the Religious School
CAA is benefitting greatly from the volunteer
work that Jess has done and that Dale is doing.
We currently have over 400 volumes, including
novels, encyclopedias, picture books, nonfiction
and more. Subjects range from Jewish Life to
Israel, the Holocaust, Biographies, and Yiddish.
We also have pictures, albums, pamphlets,
and some VHS (which need to be converted).
Almost anything can be borrowed.
Would you like to help? Donations would be
greatly appreciated. Dale has no budget for any
of this. However, our Treasurer, Jeff Cohen, has
established a “Library Fund” and we could really use some donations to make some purchases.
Also, if you have any relevant books, printed
pictures, B’nai Mitzvah programs, or other CAA
memorabilia, to donate, that would be appreciated. And, please say “thanks” to Jess and Dale
when you see them.
David Kochman, President
CAA Religious School Provides Heroic
Experiences!
If you drop
by CAA on
Sunday mornings you will
sense an excitement in the
air and hear a
happy buzz, as
well as “heroic” Mark Lazar teaches the younger
class, with assistance from Eli
music. Our
Harris and Yelena Rodolitz
new Jewish
Life curriculum is in full swing. It’s called
“Giborim: Jewish Life through Jewish Heroes”
and it teaches Torah, mitzvot, values, history,
Israel, ethics, and customs through the lens
of the lives of major Jewish figures we call
“heroes.” We alternate between biblical and
historical heroes, focusing each week on a different person. Each semester has a theme uniting the heroes studied. During this first semester, the theme was Founders, and we studied
biblical founders like Abraham and Sarah and
Moses, and historical ones like Theodor Herzl,
Maimonides, and Yohanan ben Zakkai.
Lessons are interactive and consider the accomplishments of the heroes and the institutions,
concepts, or movements they founded. Heroes
are presented as complex individuals who don’t
always behave heroically. The students analyze
the heroes’ contributions and also their less than
heroic activities. Each hero has a song associated with him or her. At Kehilah Time – our all
school assembly – we sing the songs of all the
heroes we’ve studied so far, reinforcing what
has been learned.
Mark Lazar – an Israel-based educator engaged
by the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire
to provide several weeks of on-site education
to New Hampshire congregations – joined
our Religious School as part of his Scholar in
Residence weekend at CAA. He taught the
students about Yohanan ben Zakkai, the great
sage of the Second Temple Era, and provided a
Yohanan ben Zakkai song to add to our repertoire. We were all glad to have Mark as a guest
instructor, particularly since none of our teachers knew any songs about Yohanan ben Zakkai!
In addition to the Heroes Curriculum and
Kehilah Time we continue with Hebrew language learning. Our Hebrew program is prayer
based. Religious School families are encouraged to solidify their children’s knowledge with
regular attendance at Shabbat and holiday services, where they will be able to use what they
learned in class. Two special Shabbat services
highlight our children’s prayer and Hebrew
skills. On Saturday morning, December 19, the
older children and post-bnai mitzvah teens led a
morning service and chanted from the Torah.
And on April 1, the younger children will lead
parts of the Friday night service. Plan on coming to kvell as CAA kids show what they’ve
learned.
There are also special activities at CAA
Religious School associated with holidays. For
many of the Jewish holidays we have an all
school program where students rotate through
multi-media, participative “stations” and learn
by doing. Two other special holiday related
events are scheduled for January. On January
17, the religious school participates in the
Martin Luther King Day of Service by preparing
food for the Hundred Nights Shelter. Children
will be given age-appropriate tasks and get
a chance to provide for the needy. Then on
January 24, parents and children are invited to
join in our annual Tu B’Shevat seder. Songs, traditional food and drink, tree lore, and customs
old and new combine to celebrate the New Year
of the Trees.
Our school is small, but the learning is of heroic
proportions! Come visit on a Sunday and see
for yourself.
Dale Rosenberg
Upcoming Special Events:
January and February
Short Service and Special Yahrzeit Concert
Friday, January 1
7:00 pm Short Service
7:30 pm Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E
minor
On January 1st Rabbi Loewenthal will mark the
first yahrzeit of her father, Herbert Loewenthal
z”l. To honor his great love of classical music,
the Rabbi and Dale are sponsoring a concert in
his memory.
Marcia Lehninger will play violin and Vladimir
Odinokikh will play piano, performing one
of Mr. Loewenthal’s very favorite pieces, the
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor. A
lovely dessert and libations will follow the concert.
New and Prospective Member Shabbat
Friday, January 29
6:00 pm Potluck
7:00 pm Shir Shabbat service
Longtime members will welcome and celebrate
Shabbat with new and prospective members
on this special Friday evening. We are honored
and delighted to have gained new members this
year! We are eager to get to know each other
and help everyone feel at home. Potluck will be
dairy/vegetarian.
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Meditation
Fridays, January 15 and February 19 at 6:15 pm
This month’s movie is sponsored through the
generosity of Pam and Elliott Greenblott.
Ronnie Brown will lead these meditations as a
warmup before prayer. Contemplative Shabbat
Service will follow at 7:00 pm.
Jews and Comic Books.
A slide lecture by Dale Rosenberg.
January 17 at 3:00 pm.
Saturday Night at the Movies
January 30. Arranged.
The American Jewish community has contributed so much to American life. We all know of
the significant contributions made by Jews in
areas like jurisprudence and medicine and film.
What about comic books? The American comic
book is a distinct art form, and one that was in
many ways created and shaped by American
Jews. Come to this slide lecture on Sunday,
January 17 and find answers to questions like:
This short, sweet, funny film is the story of
two young women who become friends when
they meet in their first year teaching in a public
school in Brooklyn. One is an Orthodox Jew,
the other a Muslim. Both are in the process
of having marriages arranged for them. With
bumps along the way, they achieve true friendship while finding true love in a way mainstream culture finds hard to understand.
Come join us at 7:00 pm for the screening of the
movie, food and drink, and a lively discussion.
Saturday night at the movies is free to CAA
members and $5 for others.
This month’s movie is sponsored through the
generosity of David Butler and Deb Verdery.
February 20. When Jews Were Funny.
A brief documentary that looks at North
American Jewish culture throughout the twentieth century through the lens of Jewish humor.
The director, Alan Zweig, interviews comedians
and comic actors of various ages and experience to get their opinions on how Jewish humor
and Jewish culture have changed over time.
Includes rarely seen clips from vintage television performances.
Come join us at 7:00 pm for the screening of the
movie, food and drink, and a lively discussion.
Saturday night at the movies is free to CAA
members and $5 for others.
• In the 1930s, did Goebbels denounce
Superman as a Crypto-Jew?
• What comic book supervillain is not only a
Jew but a Holocaust survivor?
• Was the crackdown on comic books in the
1950s an anti-Semitic movement, or was it
started by Jews, or both?
• With so many Jews involved in comic book
writing and publication since the 1930s,
why were there no Jewish characters in
mainstream comic books until the 1970s and
why did it take a guy named Chris to create
some?
• Which of the X-Men are Jews? Which of the
Fantastic Four?
• What Jewish-themed comic book won a
Pulitzer Prize?
Whether you think comics foster truth, justice,
and the American way or believe that comics
cause seduction of the innocent, you’ll learn
something about the influence American Jews
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POB 360, 25 Church Street
Harrisville NH 03450
603-827-3840
Simchas for January/February
Birthdays
Emily Moore.................................. January 1
Michael Nizguretski..................... January 6
Molly Burman .............................. January 8
Charles Schadick........................... January 8
Abby Spear .................................... January 18
Joel Mark Cohen............................ January 19
Jack Tenofsky................................. January 25
Ethan Bettinger.............................. January 29
Rachel Silberstein.......................... January 30
Solomon Silberstein...................... January 30
Jan Cohen....................................... January 31
Noah Carmel.................................. February 2
have had and continue to have on this quintessentially American art form. This lecture is
not specifically intended for children, but is
family friendly and participants of all ages are
welcome. Free to CAA members, $5 for nonmembers. Refreshments will be served before
the program.
Parasha of the Week
Sunday afternoons, 12:30-2:00 pm
Jessica Spear...................................
Susan Weller..................................
Negev Moon..................................
Martha Mills..................................
Eli Harris........................................
Kathi Borden..................................
Maya-Grace Ginsberg...................
Anniversaries
Craig & Robin Sylvern.................
David & Barbara Green................
David & Nancy Stone...................
February 9
February 9
February 10
February 12
February 19
February 21
February 28
January 18
January 20
February 26
and modern commentary and our own ideas
we are inspired and challenged to understand
our people’s most sacred text. New members
of the group are always welcome to join and no
Hebrew is required.
The Parasha of the Week group generally meets
whenever Religious School is in session. Call
the office for more details.
CAA members meet to read, translate, and discuss the weekly Torah reading. Using classic
Dick Bacon Home Improvement
Fine Finish Carpentry
Interior/Exterior Painting
House Renovations—Doors and Windows
Recommended by CAA Members for work done in
their homes and in the Synagogue. Fully insured.
978-870-6786
Cleaning and Restoration
Services
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Incentive Grants for Jewish Summer Camp
Are Open for Applications
The Jewish Federation
of New Hampshire
in partnership with
The Foundation for Jewish Camp (www.
OneHappyCamper.org) is delighted to
announce our 2016 Camp Incentive Program.
Through this initiative, JFNH will offer a limited number of grants for first time campers
attending a Jewish summer camp.
We know that no experience is more powerful, thrilling, or transformative than Jewish
overnight camp. Specific memories may
vary— camp-wide Maccabiah games, selfmade pottery coming out of the kiln, a hike
ending around a campfire, challenge of the
ropes course, the lakeside Shabbat—but all
Jewish camps create life-long friendships and
unbreakable bonds to Judaism and the Jewish
Community.
Children with pivotal Jewish experiences
become adults who value their Jewish heritage,
support Jewish causes, and take on leadership
roles in their communities. For these reasons,
the JFNH has committed to this exciting initiative. What you need to know:
•The grant is not based on financial need.
•Multiple campers from a family are eligible.
•Camper must attend an approved overnight
camp for the first time for 12 days or more –
See the Foundation for Jewish Camp Website
for a list of eligible camps.
•Camper must meet at least ONE of the following requirements: (1) Live in one of these
NH counties: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire,
Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, or
Sullivan; or (2) be a member of Congregation
Ahavas Achim.
•Camper must write a short letter or article for
publication in the NH Jewish Reporter.
•Families must participate in the current
JFNH Annual Campaign with a minimum
paid pledge of $100.00.
•Families' accounts with JFNH must be in
good standing.
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Presented by the Kapiloff Family
For the past sixteen years, the Ed Kapiloff
Youth Scholarship has provided one
annual scholarship for a child or children
of synagogue members to attend a Jewish
summer camp.
Applicants are invited to send a written
request to Rabbi Loewenthal telling why a
Jewish summer camp experience would be
meaningful and how it could help them to
better serve their synagogue and community. Parental help with the letter of application is acceptable.
•You must choose a Jewish camp such as
Camp JRF, Camp Eisner or one of similar
cost. You may attend a camp affiliated
with any of the movements, in any location.
•The Scholarship will be based on need
and requires community service to the
synagogue or community.
•Your family must be a member in good
standing of Congregation Ahavas Achim.
If you have any questions, please contact
Rabbi Loewenthal at 352-6747, or
rabbi.ahavas.achim@gmail.com .
•A copy of the tuition statement must be submitted to the JFNH. Check will be made out
to both the parent and the camp.
The application deadline is February 15, 2016.
Late applications will be considered if funding is
available.
NEW! The Annebelle and Arnold Cohen
Camperships Now Available
For many years the Cohen family has been an
integral part of Jewish life in New Hampshire
and the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire
is delighted that they have chosen to help
honor this legacy of community commitment
by helping more children attend Jewish summer camp. The Annebelle and Arnold Cohen
Camperships is a needs-based program which
will allow a limited number of Jewish children
in New Hampshire to attend one of the three
wonderful Jewish overnight camps run by the
non-profit Eli and Bessie Cohen Camps organization: Camp Pembroke, Camp Tel Noar and
Camp Tevya.
If you are interested in finding out more please
contact the JFNH office at office@jewishnh.org.
The Arnold and Annebelle Cohen Camperships
provide a 1/3 discount for the cost of attending one of their three camps, for one child.
Applicants should be prepared to provide
financial information, as requested, as this is a
need-based program.
The Cohen Camps include Camp Tevya, a large
co-ed overnight camp located in Brookline, New
Hampshire as well as the slightly smaller co-ed
overnight Camp Tel Noar in Hampstead, New
Hampshire and Camp Pembroke, an overnight
camp for girls in Pembroke, Massachusetts
(near Cape Cod). For more information about
each of the Cohen Camps and the unique experiences they have to offer, please go to: http://
www.cohencamps.org/camps/let-us-help-youchoose/
Bunk Connect
BunkConnect.org offers a “find a camp” search
vehicle, and provides guidance for those looking for scholarships.
Camp JRF – An Exciting Summer
Camp Opportunity!
Camp JRF is now accepting applications for the
2016 summer season. The summer camp program includes one, two, three, or four-week sessions (or a full seven weeks) for campers entering second through twelfth grades. There is also
a five-day family camp program.
Camp JRF is a joyful, creative, and inclusive
Reconstructionist community. Campers swim,
play soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball,
and other sports. They sing and explore other
arts. They learn from visiting artists, scholars,
and rabbis, as well from talented specialists
and dedicated college-age counselors. Campers
make lasting friendships, experience a safe and
fun summer, explore Jewish tradition, forge
their own Jewish identity, and participate in
creating a Jewish culture in which our values
are lived each day.
Reconstructionism is a progressive approach to
Jewish life which integrates a deep respect for
traditional Judaism with the insights of today.
Camp JRF not only teaches Jewish living skills,
but also creates a warm and caring community
where campers can build character and learn
a deep respect for Jewish tradition and what it
has to offer in everyday life.
Located on the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman
Campus in the Pocono Mountains, Camp JRF
is within easy driving distance of New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, and Maryland, and a
short flight from the rest of the continent. The
site is on 120 acres of beautifully wooded land
in South Sterling, Pennsylvania, and includes a
waterfront with canoes and kayaks; a low and
high ropes course and climbing wall; a heated
swimming pool; endless hiking trails; a baseball
diamond, tennis courts, and volleyball courts,
basketball courts, archery and athletic fields; a
state-of-the art theater; an arts and crafts center;
an indoor athletic facility and a complete wellness center.
Campers range in age from seven to seventeen and come from communities across North
America, Israel and the world, forming a
vibrant, unique and exciting Jewish community
in the woods. They are supported by mature
staff members who believe in Reconstructionist
values and in the importance of positive Jewish
experiences for youth. The camp community is
completed by a core group of faculty members
– rabbis, educators, cantors, rabbinical students,
and youth workers – who help to incorporate
Jewish learning into each part of the camp program. Everyone comes together to form a community like no other, a community which is
certainly not to be missed!
Visit http://www.campjrf.org for detailed information and photos. There is already a waiting
list for some units and sessions. Scholarships
are available. Applications must be postmarked
by January 31, 2016.
9
Highlights of CAA Board of Directors
Meetings
September 9, 2015: Treasurer’s Report:
Jeff Cohen presented the results for the
2014-2015 fiscal year (9/1/14 – 8/31/15).
Operational expenses exceeded income by
$1,710 due to the write-off of some unpaid
membership dues which exceeded the
amount budgeted for this item. The congregation’s investment portfolio decreased
by about $19,000 compared to a gain of
about $100,000 in the prior fiscal year.
Artwork: The new art in the Social Hall is
the 3rd installation. It is the work of Terri
Lipman (a CAA member). The rare photograph donated by Jan Cohen has been
framed. It will be mounted in the lobby.
It dates from 1914 and shows women at
Western Wall.
Ride to Provide: Marni is chairing the
Ride to Provide run by the Hillel at the
University of Masachusetts, Amherst.
Mike Davern is captain. The event is on
Sunday, October 18. Since the unveiling of
the stone for Florence Lipsky is scheduled
for that day, Rabbi Loewenthal will not be
able to attend. Registration is $54. If CAA
enrolls enough participants, we will be
able to keep half of the money we raise.
October 14, 2015: David Kochman
announced a decision made by the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College to
admit intermarried rabbinical students.
Their policy had been no admittance if
intermarried. Most congregations supported this change. Individual congregations could have their own requirements
for Rabbis. Rabbi Loewenthal would like
to have more discussions about traditions
and this topic.
Paul Beiber announced that Joe Steinfeld,
a Boston attorney, will be speaking at the
Cohen Lecture Series about Judaism and
the defamation of religion.
Selena Katz said that her Interfaith Based
Community Action Committee will meet at
the synagogue on November 15th from 2
to 4 PM. Everyone is invited to attend. The
meeting will be about deep listening training.
Paul Beiber would like the synagogue to
10
Yahrzeits for January/February
Date Yahrzeit
Observed
1/1 Herbert Loewenthal
1/4 Julia Andrews
1/5 Edwin Kaufman
1/9 Etta Kapiloff
1/10 Michael New
1/13 Fanny Andrews
1/15 Ida Kaplan Stone
1/17 Hyman Butler
1/18 Kenneth L. Broad
1/19 Esther Bernstein
1/19 Florence Lipsky
1/20 Leonard Kapiloff
1/20 Miriam Peller Rhodes
1/22 Mollie Buckowsky
1/23 Jules Shapiro
1/24 H. Herbert Fox
1/26 Morris Fox
1/28 William Gale
1/30 Ruth Cohen
1/30 Sheila Tenofsky
2/1 Jack Kaplan
2/3 Meyer Kaplan
2/5 Eve Reisig
2/9 Sylvia Cooper (Rosenberg)
2/15 Norman Harold Brown
2/17 Harry Krugman
2/22 George Andrews
2/27 Chaya Leah Slome
Jewish Friday before
DateYahrzeit
20 Tevet 12/25
23 Tevet 1/1
24 Tevet 1/1
28 Tevet 1/8
29 Tevet 1/8
3 Shevat 1/8
5 Shevat 1/15
7 Shevat 1/15
8 Shevat 1/15
9 Shevat 1/15
9 Shevat 1/15
10 Shevat 1/15
10 Shevat 1/15
12 Shevat 1/22
13 Shevat 1/22
14 Shevat 1/22
16 Shevat 1/22
18 Shevat 1/22
20 Shevat 1/29
20 Shevat 1/29
22 Shevat 1/29
24 Shevat 1/29
26 Shevat 2/5
30 Shevat 2/5
6 Adar-I 2/12
8 Adar-I 2/12
13 Adar-I 2/19
18 Adar-I 2/26
Yahrzeits are listed according to the Hebrew date, so the English date will vary
from year to year. Kaddish may be recited on the Shabbat nearest the date of
remembrance. Please notify the synagogue office at 352-6747 if you find an
error, or would like to have the name of a loved one included in the future.
sponsor a blood drive. The goal would be to collect
90 units of blood. We talked about having the blood
draw in February or March on a week day. We also
talked about having the blood drive with other faith
groups in Keene. The Red Cross would do this. Who
would like to help Paul with this?
November 11, 2015: Sunday School News. Rabbi
Loewenthal presented a slide show that she made for
parents and adapted for presentation to the Board.
Total enrollment of 11 students presented challenges
and opportunities. The curriculum for Jewish studies this year is based on a study of Giborim – heroes.
Because there are multi-age classrooms, the material
has to be accessible to all the students in the class and
the material has to be different each year. The theme
for this semester is founders.
Membership Update. There will be a New Member
Shabbat on January 29, 2016, to welcome anyone who
joined in 2015.
Cohen Center Update. David announced that
there is a new painting by Samuel Bak at the
Cohen Center. The Jewish Federation of NH
gave it to the Cohen Center after moving out
of their building. It is hanging in the Mason
Library at KSC.
The Cohen Center organized a Kristallnacht
commemoration that was held at the Colonial
Theater. It was free and open to the public. A
lot of congregants attended the program. It is
impressive that the small town of Keene has
such an event for the whole community.
Tahara and Shmira Update. Rabbi Loewenthal
explained that tahara and shmira is care traditionally given to a dead person’s body. There
is a women's Chevra Kadisha at CAA. When
it appeared that there would be a need for
tahara and shmira for a male, Rabbi Loewenthal
arranged to have the head of Chevra Kadisha
from Greenfield, MA train a men's group.
Vivian Prunier, Recording Secretary
Cycle of Life
Our Condolences to:
Rita Nirenberg and the Nirenberg
family on the death of Morris
Nirenberg in Keene on November 2nd after a
lengthy illness.
Pablo Fleischmann and Valerie Piedmont on the
death of Pablo’s mother, Susan F. O'Hara on
December 21, 2015.
Donations
Nathan E. Cohen Memorial Lecture Series
H.S. Traison - in honor of Arthur Cohen
Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
Todd Silberstein & Lisa Leinau
Helen Colby
Marty & Ben Wildove - in memory of Ida
Wildove
Rita Nirenberg
Dorothy (Lipsky) Saks
Florence Aliber Lipsky Scholarship Fund
Dorothy Lipsky Saks - in memory of her
mother
keenecourtyard.com
thelanehotel.com
holidayinnexpress.com/keenenh
MAZEL TOV
.
.
lodging wedding receptions Bat/Bar Mitzvahs
Contact Michelle Clark : (603) 354-7900 x4924
C elebrate a S imchah by P urchasing a L eaf on
O ur TREE OF LIFE
• Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
• Births
• Graduations
• Anniversaries
• Special Birthdays
• Honors • Best Wishes
and Congratulations
Please contact Daniella at secretary.ahavas.
achim@gmail.com or call the synagogue
office at 603-352-6747. $270 per leaf.
New Membership Directory in the Works
CAA's Board recently approved the creation of
a membership directory for CAA members. This
OPT-IN directory is intended for social contacts
only. It is to be used with the good-faith understanding that the contact information will not be
used for business purposes.
This directory will offer your name, address,
home and cell numbers as well as your email
address. As this is an OPT-IN directory, you can
include only the information that you would
like!
Look for an email invitation from our Office
Manager, Daniella Yitzchak to OPT-IN to this
directory.
If you have any questions in advance, feel free
to contact Daniella at secretary.ahavas.achim@
gmail.com or at 603.352.6747
11
Monadnock OB GYN Associates, P.A.
mike.kapiloff@kapiloff.com
Charles J. Seigel, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
David R. Levene, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Fletcher R. Wilson, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Pamela Stetzer, D.O., F.A.C.O.G.
Heather L. Arel., M.S.N., A.R.N.P.
OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
454 Old Street Road, STE. 302
Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458
APPOINTMENTS
603-924-9444
Congregation
Ahavas Achim
THE COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE
84 Hastings Avenue
Keene, NH 03431
603-352-6747
E-mail: rabbi.ahavas.achim@gmail.com
www.keenesynagogue.org
12
Keene office hours available.
www.monadnockobgyn.com
BILLING
603-924-3088