AT Newsletter here

Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
Cantorial Soloist
Gary Levine
AHAVAT TORAH
ONE TORAH, MANY TEACHERS, ONE COMMUNITY
http://www.ahavattorahla.org
Associate Cantorial Soloist
April 12th, 2014
Kimberly Haynes
Co-President
Michael Stevens
Judy Kollack
9:00 - 9.45 am Mussar with Rabbi Miriam and Rabbinic Intern Gregory Metzger
The Great Hallel-Great Psalm of Gratitude
10:00 am – 12.30 PM Shabbat Service
Vice President
Shoshi Wilchfort
Secretary
Lynn Stevens
Treasurer
Dan Sterling
Board Members
Debra Barrath
Barbara Burbank
Vicki Crawford
Judy Freeman
Gary Levine
Florene Rozen
Jonathan Troper
Past Presidents
Rena Jaffe
Jean Katz
Ron Estroff
Sid Rosenblatt
Blanche Moss
Nadav and Avihu: doubleportioninheritance.com
Ex- Officio Members
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
Charles Hamrell MD
Torah Portion
Aharei Mot Leviticus 16: 1-18:30
Shabbat HaGadol - The Great Shabbat (before Passover)
Chanter
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
D’var Torah
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
Cantor
Gary Levine
Unless otherwise indicated, all events and services are at Village Lutheran Church, 343 S. Church Lane, L.A. 90049
Rabbinic Intern Gregory Metzger Acharei Mot/Pesach 5774 – Washing Away Slavery. I am engaged in many social justice activities, locally and globally. One of the
most difficult questions I am asked is: Why am I helping people other than
Jews? People say, “When we were being persecuted, “these people” were
not helping us.” To them I reply: To “stand idly by” may very well be the way
of others, but is not the way of free people. “You shall not mimic the
practices of the land of Egypt where you lived or of the land of Canaan where
I am taking you. And in their ways you shall not walk.” – Leviticus 18:3
Each Pesach we learn a little more about freedom. I have attended seders at three California
Prisons. Pesach is a particularly meaningful holiday for Jewish inmates. Some have the insight to
know that they are not slaves or captives of the State, but of their own making. For them Pesach is
about freedom from an inner slavery.
One such inmate sparked an illuminating discussion when she asked, “Why do we wash our hands
twice, Urchatz and Rachtzah?”
We learned from each other that when we first leave slavery, we
clean our hands from our part in our own slavery, from our acceptance of - and even worship of - our
captors, lest we “mimic the practices” of the land of Egypt.
Once free, we must cleanse from our hands the haughtiness that comes from the belief that we freed
ourselves. We can clean ourselves of the anger and resentment at those who turned a blind eye to
our suffering and those who lacked the courage or power to take action. This arrogance and anger
allows us to create new enemies and blame victims making it easier to “stand idly by” or even
participate in their enslavement. “We got out of slavery without their help.” “They got themselves into
this situation. Let them get themselves out of it.” We need to be cleansed of this “new slavery” of our
own making, the slavery to our ego that separates us from our responsibilities to “the other nations”.
True, many people “stood idly by” during the holocaust. The Torah teaches that “And in their ways
you shall not walk.” Until we surrender to the higher principles of Torah, we will remain enslaved we will not be truly free.
“You should follow My rules so that you will be guided by them. I am Adonai your God.” - Leviticus
18:4
Why do we help people who are not Jewish? Because, that is the higher principle of Torah. We help
them so that we may be free.
Pesach teaches us that no one is free until we are all free. Pesach teaches us to take action so that
next year we may all be in Jerusalem, “an abode of peace.”
Chag Sameach Pesach!
This Coming Shabbat Called
SHABBAT HaGADOL - THE GREAT SHABBAT
In preparation for Passover
Rabbi Miriam and Gregory Metzger will be
teaching a special Psalm called
THE GREAT PSALM
A poem with an amazing attitude of GRATITUDE!
Date: Saturday, April 12thTime: 9:00-9:50AM @
Address: Ahavat Torah Congregation’s Fireside Room
343 Church Lane, LA, Ca. 90049
Free, come and bring a friend.
PASSOVER – Continuing the Midrasha Programs
In Preparing Your HEART, BODY & SOUL For Passover
We Continue with Our Body- The Mikvah- Renew & Rebirth
AT is proud to help you prepare physically
through the living water of Mikvah
Date & Time: Friday, APRIL 11th @ 10:00AM
Address: American Jewish Univ.,15600
Mullholand Dr. #150
We were able to secure the Mikvah for a special
price of $50 or $36 according to your possibility.
Please make checks payable to, The Rabbinical
Assembly. RSVP: Rabbi Miriam:
hamuda133@aol.com or Ahavat Torah Office:
(310) 362-1111. Don’t miss this transformative
experience from the profane to the holy.
We Conclude with Our Soul (Food)-It's Not Chicken Soup…
but…it's Haroset for Your Soul
Date & Time: Sunday, April 13th @ 11:00AM
You are invited to Rabbi Miriam’s Kitchen
Cook a Yummy Sepharad & Ashkenaz Haroset
and take it home for your Seder table.
Bring & tell your family’s Passover stories. We’ll
laugh & cry together. $10 to cover cost. You may
bring a friend. RSVP to Rabbi Miriam:
hamuda133@aol.com or Ahavat Torah
Office: (310) 362-1111
!
World Premier Movie
Making Light in Terezin
Members of Ahavat Torah Congregation are
invited to an Interfaith Dialogue & a Movie
showing
Date & Time: Monday, April 21st @ 7 PM.
Address: 11500 Nimitz Avenue, LA 90049,
on the VA Grounds, next to the Brentwood
Theater.
A day before the movie is released to the
world, we will get to see it. We are honored
to share this uplifting movie with Q & A with
writer/director, Richard Krevolin; Producing
Partner, Carole Beams and possibly a Terezin resident from 1943.
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell will also participate in the Q & A since she visited
the Hell Hole called Terezin that the women of her family including her
mother, aunt and grandmother were liberated from.
Space for our movie premier is limited (but free parking is always abundant!)
Upon arriving, please sign in at Security Desk in lobby and proceed to 2nd
floor. One of our docent veterans will greet you in the lobby and escort you
to the screening room.
Tax deductible donations are always appreciated and needed, especially as
we prepare to provide 8 different community Passover Seders to so many.
This movie premier is another FREE Program of Shir HaShirim, the Song of
Songs Community.
Please make your generous tax-deductible donation payable to
LetsGoToShul.com and mail to Chaplain DOV Cohen, 11500 Nimitz
Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90049.
We invite financial support from the
entire community, not only those who regularly participate.
!
In honor of Israel's 66th Independence Day the Celebrate Israel
Festival will take place on May 18th, 2014 at Cheviot Hills
Recreation Center.
AHAVAT TORAH will have a booth at the festival
manned by A.T. volunteers.
The festival hours are from 11:00am - 6:00pm.
A.T. needs volunteers to work 2 hour shifts.
A volunteer schedule is being put together.
If you are interested in volunteering at the A.T. Booth, please
email Judy Freeman BY APRIL 15TH at: judyfre2@verizon.net.
For festival details go to: www.celebrateisraelfestival.com
!
DO NOT STAND IDLY BY!!!!
AHAVAT TORAH, KOL TUV & INTERFAITH FRIENDS
Are walking together to create a world without genocide
Sunday, April 27th, 9:00AM @ Pan-Pacific Park
7600 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca. 90036 - (323) 939-8874
Parking at Pan Pacific Park & CBS Parking lot off of North Genesee AVE.
* Join even if you can’t walk with us. * Join even if you can’t contribute
It is simple:
To JOIN the TEAM Click HERE and follow the simple directions.
If you are having trouble, Call Amy at (818) 501-1836 or email walk@jww.org
Or our Gregory Metzger at gdm1008@gmail.com!
Dear Members and Friends of AT,
We have less than a month to collect the wonderful auction
items for your bidding pleasure. All the auction donations
must be sent in by April 20.
So far, we only have 32 donations and the majority of those
have come in from the prior donor letters that we send out.
WE NEED YOUR HELP. You would be surprised at how
easy it is to get a donation from a restaurant, from Trader Joe's
and from any places with whom you do business.. And it is a good excuse to go out to your
favorite restaurant!
Do you need donation letters and forms? Send an email to: arlenesid@gmail.com and you will
receive them by email and can print them or you can pick them up at services on Shabbat. Also
you can print them from this newsletter!! Please scroll down to find them.
Looking forward to a great evening honoring Beth, Rena, and Hal and having lots of goodies on
which to bid. Thank you. Arlene and Coleman
!
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
Cantorial Soloist
Gary Levine
Assistant Cantorial Soloist
Kimberly Haynes
Co-Presidents
Michael Stevens
Judy Kollack
Vice President
Shoshi Wilchfort
Treasurer
Dan Sterling
Secretary
Lynn Stevens
Board Members
Debra Barrath
Barbara Burbank
Vicki Crawford
Judy Freeman
Gary Levine
Florene Rozen
Jonathan Troper
Past Presidents
Rena Jaffe
Jean Katz
Ron Estroff
Sid Rosenblatt
Blanche Moss
Ex-officio Members
Rabbi Miriam Hamrell
Charles Hamrell, MD
AHAVAT TORAH
One Torah, Many Teachers, One Community
IT’S A WIN-WIN SITUATION
WE WANT TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN
A “SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES” PUBLICATION THAT
WILL BE HANDED OUT AT OUR MAY 3 ANNIVERSARY EVENT.
WHEN YOU DONATE A GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR BUSINESS TO
OUR AUCTION, YOUR ADVERTISEMENT WILL GO IN OUR BOOK.
WHO ARE WE:
Ahavat Torah is a warm, welcoming and compassionate community, celebrating
the fellowship of people drawn together by a love of Jewish spirituality, ethics,
culture and traditions. We are deeply committed to Social Action within our
congregation, the community, and the world.
SUMMARY OF 2013 SOCIAL ACTION PROJECTS
Some of our Social Action activities are: Feeding the Hungry through SOVA,
greening our congregation lunch program, supporting Sierra Club Against Coal,
work with Children’s Institute, conducting Interfaith Activities, and supporting
Jewish World Watch.
The generosity of individuals and businesses, enable us to continue our good
work. Social Action is an important part of our philosophy and the money that is
collected from the Auction at this year’s Eleventh Annual Anniversary Party on
May 3, 2014, will be used to help fund these programs.
WHAT ARE WE ASKING OF YOU:
Our Eleventh Annual Anniversary event will be held on May 3, 2014. At that event, we will
have a silent auction of certificates and merchandise, and we would love to include you! The
donation to Ahavat Torah is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and a written
acknowledgement will be sent for your records.
PLEASE FILL IN THE ENCLOSED DONATION INFORMATION PAPER AND
RETURN IT BY APRIL 14, 2014.
With much appreciation,
Arlene
Arlene Rosenblatt
Auction Chairperson
P.O. Box 291262, Los Angeles, CA 90029
343 Church Lane, Brentwood, CA 90049 (310)362-1111
www.ahavattorahla.org
Tax I.D. #20-1000739
AHAVAT TORAH
One Torah, Many Teachers, One Community
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW AND RETURN
WITH YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE BY APRIL 18, 2014
DONOR INFORMATION
Name (Business or Individual):_________________________________________________
Contact Person (If different than above)__________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip_______________________________________________________________
Email Address:_________________________________________ Phone ______________
DONATION INFORMATION
Please describe in detail the item you are donating, any restrictions or blackout dates, and expiration
date:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Fair Market Value ________; if you do not know, what starting bid should be used:___________
I will provide gift certificate
Please design one for me
Signature of Donor_____________________________________________
Solicited by _________________________________ Phone #___________________________
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
There will be a business size card
advertisement for your company in our
“SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS”
publication.
MAIL TO:
Ahavat Torah
c/o Coleman Colla
535 South Curson Ave, #3H
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
IRC Section 501C (3)Tax I.D. #20-1000739
IT’S CELEBRATION TIME!
Saturday Evening, May 3rd, 2014
Ahavat Torah Congregation will be celebrating Community
and Friendship at our annual Gala.
Honoring these three Loving, Giving and Humble Menschen.
H al & R ena Jaffe
Beth D everm ont
Now that you have your invitations, please
send in your reservations and tributes as soon
as possible.
We really need to hear from
you.
Any questions, contact Barbara Burbank at
burpurr@sbcglobal.net or Debra Barrath at
dbarrath@hotmail.com
Excitedly yours, Barbara and Debra
Would you like to Carpool to the Annual Fundraiser?
As a loving AT community we ask your support to help guests with a
ride to the gala!
Please note: We will not be organizing the rides. We will leave that to
you. The organizers will simply share names and contact information
between people offering rides and people requesting rides.
Please answer the following questions
I AM REQUESTING A RIDE TO THE GALA
I CAN OFFER A RIDE TO THE GALA
NAME ………………………………………………………….…………….
ADDRESS ……………………………………………….………………….
…………………………………………………………………………..…….
…………………………………………………………………………..…….
CITY …………………………………………………………………………
ZIP CODE …………………………………………….…………………….
PHONE NUMBER …………………………………………………………
EMAIL ……………………………………………….…………………….
COMMENTS: ………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………..…….
…………………………………………………………………………..…….
You can complete this form & hand it to Barbara or Debra or
submit the form via the AT website @
www.ahavattorahla.org/carpool.html
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The mailing address for all Ahavat Torah business including
membership payments, tribute cards, JNF trees, donations, yartzheit
contributions, submission of receipts, etc. (except for the Gala) is
changing as of April 1, 2014.
The new mailing address will be the old mailing address P.O. Box 442,
Santa Monica, CA 90406 which has been kept open for this past year. If
mail mistakenly goes to our existing address (P.O. Box 291262), it will be
forwarded to the new one.
Our treasurer, Dan Sterling, is preparing for some surgery and can no
longer handle the demands of this position. Hal Jaffee and Sid Rosenblatt,
both of whom have been treasurer in previous years, are stepping in to
take over until new officers are installed.
Thank you to Dan for all the work he has done and to Hal and Sid who have
graciously offered to help out (and for Hal, this is the peak of tax season!)
AHAVAT TORAH
P.O. BOX 442
SANTA MONICA, CA 90406
Our own member Marion Klein will be participating in
A Night of Song
A Choir Concert at the American Jewish University with
soloists and members of the LA Jewish Symphony
Sunday, May 4, 7:00 PM at Ghindi Auditorium at AJU
Reserved Seating $36.00; General Admission $18.00
To register call (310) 440-1246 or visit
wcce.aju.edu/choir/ or aju.edu/onlinecatalogue
Rabbi Miriam & Chuck Hamrell
Martha & Frank Hartley
Chuck Hamrell
Lynn Stevens
Jonathan Troper
Leslie Tuchman
Miriam Wexler
DONATIONS – MARCH 2014
TRIBUTE CARDS
Coleman Colla, with thanks to Laurel Gord for her wonderful comments on
Amazon about his son’s newly published novel, “Baghdad Central.”
With thanks to Kevi Williams for the beautiful article in the Newsletter about his
son’s newly published novel.
Shoshi & Izydor Wilchfort:
Happy birthday to Chuck Hamrell
To Dan Sterling with blessings for healing
To Mrs. Eileen Davidson, condolences for loss of her beloved mother
To Ms. Robynne Wallace, condolences for the loss of her beloved mother
To Mr & Mrs. Bill Mazure, condolences on the loss of your beloved sister
Bernice Brown: to Dan Sterling, blessings for healing
Estelle Markowitz, purchased 12 tribute cards to send as needed
Jean Katz:
To Dan Sterling with wishes for a speedy and complete recovery
To Rabbi Miriam, “Mazel Tov and Yasher Koach for your wonderful work for many
Jewish women at the prison in Chino.
JNF TREES
Barbara & Alan Burbank to Rena and Hal Jaffe in honor of the birth of
their granddaughter, Maya Ariela
Shoshi & Izydor Wilchfort:
To Mrs. Karen Wurtzel in honor of her 70th birthday
To Judy and Lou Miller, mazel tov and blessings on your new home
To Roz Minkoff, condolences on the passing of your beloved husband
DONATION TO SYNAGOGUE
Estelle Markowitz, contribution toward theatre party
Laurel Gord, Andrea Salazar, Barbara Burbank purchased AT
mugs
Sophia Avants
Judith Raphael
Beatrice Smetana-Beals
Martha Hartley
Jean Katz
Coleman Colla
Philip Cantor
Estelle Fisher
Aharon Naschshon
Gloria Orenstein
Barbara Burbank
ETHIOPIAN CURTAIN FUND
Jean Katz, in honor of Rabbi Miriam, for her wonderful work for many Jewish
women at the prison in Chino.
RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
Judith Raphael
LOX FUND
Judith Raphael
!
!
2014 / 5774
April
Shabbat, 5
Shabbat, 12
10am
Midrashah
10am
Simchat Shabbat
1pm
Board Meeting
Monday, 14
1st Night of Passover
Tuesday, 15
Counting the Omer April 15 – June 2
Shabbat, 26
Thoughts on Yom HaSho’ah during services.
Monday, 28
Yom Hashoah
May
Shabbat, 3
10am
6pm
Midrashah
Gala Fundraiser
Sunday, 4
Mother’s Day
Monday, 5
Yom HaZikaron – Israel Memorial Day
Tuesday, 6
Yom HaAtzma’ut – Israel Independence Day
Shabbat, 10
10am
Simchat Shabbat & Brief Discussion of Yom HaZikaron &
Yom HaAtzma’ut + Thoughts on the Jewish Matriarchs for
Mother’s Day
1pm
Board Meeting
Shabbat, 17
1pm
Social Action Committee meeting
Sunday, 18
11am – 6pm
Monday, 26
Wednesday, 28
Ahavat Torah Booth at the Celebrate Israel Festival at
Rancho Park
American Memorial Day
Yom Yerushalayim
!
For$further$information$contact$Debra$at$AhavatTorahLA@gmail.com$
AHAVAT$TORAH$CONGREGATION,$P.$O.$Box$291262$Los$Angeles,$CA$90029;$Phone$310N362N1111$