1503 March 15 Scroll
Transcription
1503 March 15 Scroll
Scroll Congregation Beth El March 2015 •Adar-Nisan 5775 Vol. 64 No. 7 Jewish Comedy From the Clergy Theme Jewish Humor• 1, 8-9 From the Clergy • 1 Hamantaschen • 1 Legacy Society • 3 Scolnic Institute • 3 From the Education Director • 5 Family Sports Night • 6 Purim Schedule • 10 Library Corner • 11 By Rabbi Bill Rudolph Everybody likes a good joke, and we Jews are no different. Given our history, our having a collective sense of humor is more necessary than for most other people. And I think we have succeeded, even though I wish we Jews didn’t have so much need to find levity in the lives we have led. Look at this list: Sandy Baron, Belle Barth, Jack Benny, Gertrude Berg, Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Joey Bishop,Victor Borge, David Brenner, Fanny Brice, Mel Brooks, Lenny Bruce, Art Buchwald, George Burns, Red Buttons. That is just the Bs of American Jewish comedians, so I guess we are pretty good at this. If you don’t recognize these names, then you are young and you missed something special. Ask the folks. The Jewish Joke What is a Jewish joke? There are all kinds of scholarly answers to that question and many books about Jewish continued on page 2 Matters of the Heart • 12 Project Hamantaschen Hamantaschen Recipe • 13 About 15 years ago I found a battered old box covered in the yellow crisscrossed lattice-design wallpaper that had been in my grandmother’s small Greenwich Village kitchen. The box was a repository of treasures related to the involvement of my grandmother, Henriette Sternberg, in Jewish life and social action (though I am sure that’s not what it was called then) in her corner of New York City. It contained mostly recipes but also ideas for activities that she undertook as a member and ultimately president of her Washington Square chapter of Hadassah. There were notes on projects she undertook by herself. I found a very tattered copy of a newspaper article with her kugel recipe and a faded copy of a Laughs 4U • 14 Departments Men’s Club • 6 Sisterhood • 7 Contributions • 16 Bulletin Board • 20 The Scroll is a recipient of three Solomon Schechter Gold Awards from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. By Janice Liebowitz photo of her in a Victory garden where she had won first prize for her cabbage. She had helped hundreds of New Yorkers, mostly in Brooklyn, grow their own vegetables when produce was in short supply during World War II. She made dolls out of cloth remnants and sold them for whatever price buyers indicated on their checks written out to Hadassah. There were invitations to luncheons and teas with guest lists that included women with names like Rae, Gussie, and Selma. (Nanny, as the nine grandchildren called her, was known to everyone else as Yetta.) The sample menus included starters like watercress soup as well as her signature “Tom Thumb” and date-nut square concontinued on page 13 Scroll 8215 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, Maryland 20814-1451 Phone 301-652-2606 Fax 301-907-8559 Webwww.bethelmc.org Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Senior Rabbi William D. Rudolph wrudolph@bethelmc.org Rabbi Gregory Harris gharris@bethelmc.org Hazzan Matthew Klein mklein@bethelmc.org Executive Director Sheila H. Bellack sbellack@bethelmc.org Education Director Rabbi Mark Levine mlevine@bethelmc.org Associate Education Director Elisha Frumkin efrumkin@bethelmc.org Director of Community Engagement Geryl Baer gbaer@bethelmc.org Preschool Director Kim Lausin klausin@bethelmc.org Youth Director Adam Zeren azeren@bethelmc.org Rabbi Emeritus Samuel Scolnic, z”l Hazzan Emeritus Abraham Lubin alubin@bethelmc.org President David Mills dmills@cooley.com Executive Vice President Jerry Sorkin sorkinj@executiveboard.com Administrative Vice President Larisa Avner Trainor ltrainor@cig.com Communications and Tikkun Olam Vice President Larry Sidman larrysidman@live.com Community Building Vice President Ivy Fields ivyfields@gmail.com Development and Finance Vice President Mark C. Bronfman mark.bronfman@gmail.com Education and Lifelong Learning Vice President Amy Kaufman Goott akgoott@yahoo.com Worship and Spirituality Vice President Rebecca Musher Gross rebeccamgross@gmail.com Treasurer Joseph B. Hoffman jhoffman@kelleydrye.com Secretary Sharon D. Zissman sdzissman@aol.com Scroll Committee scroll@bethelmc.org Janet Meyers, Chair, Sharon Apfel, Judy Futterman, Mara Greengrass, Susan Jerison, Davida Kales, Marci Kanstoroom, Helen Popper, Marsha Rehns, Walter Schimmerling, Larry Sidman, and Jerry Sorkin. Graphic designer: Tiarra Joslyn 4U editor: Jennifer Katz Scroll, USPS Number 009813, is published monthly by Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814. Periodical postage rate paid at Bethesda, Maryland and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Scroll, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. 2 FROM THE CLERGY continued from page 1 humor, but the definition I like best is the simplest: A Jewish joke is one that every Jew has already heard or could have told better. What is a “classic” Jewish joke of the 19th-20th centuries? Here is an example. During WWII, after three months of waiting in Casablanca, Lowenthal has almost given up hope of getting a visa for America and survival in the face of the Nazi onslaught. The American consulate was constantly filled with refugees, and it was virtually impossible even to get an interview with an American official. Finally, Lowenthal was able to make an appointment. “What are my chances of entering your country?” he asked. “Not very good, I’m afraid,” said the official. “Your country’s quota is completed filled. I suggest you come back in 10 years.” “Fine,” replied Lowenthal impassively. “Morning or afternoon?” This is the genre we call “laughter through tears,” generally about anti-Semitism, and sometimes we even get the last word on the anti-Semites. “We’ll Be There Friday” More up-to-date are jokes about assimilation. Try this one. A Jewish man in Florida, in his 80s, calls his son in New York. The father says to the son, “I hate to tell you, but we’ve got some troubles here in the house.Your mother and I can’t stand each other anymore, and we’re getting a divorce. I’ve had it! I want to live out the rest of my years in peace. I’m telling you now, so you and your sister shouldn’t go into shock later when I move out.” He hangs up, and the son immediately calls his sister in the Hamptons and tells her the news. The sister says, “I’ll handle this.” She calls Florida and says to her father, “Don’t do ANYTHING until we get there! We’ll be there Friday night.” The father agrees, “All right, all right already.” He hangs up the phone and hollers to his wife, “Okay, they’re coming for Passover. Now, what are we going to tell them for Rosh Hashanah?” Enjoy this issue of the Scroll with the theme of Jewish humor. We learn a lot about ourselves from our humor, and hopefully we have a few laughs in the process. n Jewish Women Physicians Group Sunday, March 8, 10:00 am Join women physicians at Beth El for a networking and study session. We will discuss how being a physician fits with Jewish values and how women physicians face unique challenges. For more information and to RSVP, contact Rona Schwartz at ronaaschwartz@gmail.com or Geryl Baer at gbaer@bethelmc.org or 301-652-2606, ext. 352. Thoughts of “Footprints” Inspire Legacy Gift By Andrea Glazer Pat and Jerry Danoff have decided to include Beth El in their estate plans, a marked departure from their previous thinking. I recently spoke with Pat to understand what influenced this change of mind. Pat and Jerry have been active members of Beth El for more than 30 years. In addition to participating in worship services, they helped start Nitzanim and led the sukkah kit project. Pat has served as president of Beth El and of Sisterhood. Jerry served on the executive committee and plays in the Beth El Band. Over the years, Pat told me, they have responded to Beth El’s needs, including Pillars, the Gala, the Hanukkah Wish List, and the previous capital campaign, but “giving for the distant future didn’t resonate,” she said. They didn’t believe that their estate would be large enough to accommodate a gift of any significance to Beth El after securing their children’s and grandchildren’s futures. Provision for Beth El So, what changed their minds? As each milestone birthday passed, they began to think more about the meaning of their lives and what “footprints” they would leave behind, Pat explained. As they were preparing to rewrite their legacy documents, it seemed as though it was beshert to make a provi- Rabbi Samuel Scolnic Adult Institute – Spring 2015 The Rabbi Samuel Scolnic Adult Institute, founded in 1977 as the Saul Bendit Adult Institute, is one of the leading synagogue-based adult education programs in the Washington, D.C., area. Now in its 37th year, the Institute has received national and international recognition. The spring program, running for six weeks, comprises 10 courses offered Wednesday evenings beginning March 18, and four classes offered Tuesday mornings, beginning March 17. The program includes a wide array of courses. Check out the offerings and make plans to register for one or more classes. Brochures have been mailed and are also available at www.bethelmc.org. Early bird registration deadline is March 3. n sion for Beth El. They thought about the integral role Beth El has played in their lives as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. “We have been touched and shaped by Beth El,” Pat said. They considered the importance of perpetuating their values and their experiences for Beth El members in years to come. “Leaving a bequest to help ensure a vibrant Beth El in the future will demonstrate for our kids, better than any words we could speak, how important being Jewish is to us and why finding and supporting their own Jewish community is so important,” Pat said. They realized that there are ways to make a planned gift other than a bequest of a specific dollar amount, and they chose to designate a percentage of their estate to benefit Beth El. It made sense to them because it allows for the fluctuating value of their estate. Their children have supported their decision and have welcomed Beth El’s inclusion in the family’s future plans. As charter members of Beth El’s new Legacy Society, Pat and Jerry invite you to join them in providing for Beth El’s secure future. For further information about Creating a Jewish Legacy at Beth El, please contact Andrea Glazer at aglazer@bethelmc.org. n Wednesday Night Schedule with Minyan/refreshment break from 8:20-8:40 pm 7:30 - 8:20 pm 8:40 - 9:30 pm Rabbi Rudolph’s Favorite Bible Stories Rabbi William Rudolph Innovative Jewish Thinkers: Rashi Rabbi Gregory Harris Learn to Read Torah: Cantillation Workshop Hazzan Matthew Klein Jewish Passages in 21st Century America: Contemporary Trends in Life Cycle Events Rabbi Avis Miller Beyond Stereotypes: The Biblical Books of Esther and Ruth Rabbi Mindy Portnoy Post-1960s Judaism in America Rabbi Steven Glazer Issues Confronting Israel Today Martin Sieff Poetry and Philosophy in the Siddur Dr. Elliot Wilner Does the Text Really Say That? Gideon Amir Jewish Political Tradition Dr. Jerome Copulsky Tuesday Morning Schedule with refreshment break from 10:50-11:10 am 10:00 - 10:50 am 11:10 am - Noon Jewish Passages in 21st Century America: Contemporary Trends in Life Cycle Events Rabbi Avis Miller Beyond Stereotypes: The Biblical Books of Esther and Ruth Rabbi Mindy Portnoy Does the Text Really Say That? Gideon Amir Post-1960s Judaism in America Rabbi Steven Glazer 3 Torah Repair Religious School students learned techniques for restoring a Sefer Torah at a recent program. Sofer Jeffrey Shulevitz, an L2G teacher, is restoring a scroll for Beth El. Students had the opportunity to assist him in sanding the parchment and filling in letters. Photo by Mitchell Solkowitz Literary Luminary Mazal tov to Beth El’s Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School seniors, who graduated on February 8. From top left: Eitan Dunn, Robert Belson, Joel Halpern, Gabriel Roark, Aaron Handelman, and Jacob Stillman. From bottom left: Matthew Litman, Adina Pollak, Miranda Escobar, Isabella Zissman, Evan Kravitz, and Jeremy Kaplan. Join Beth El for Good Deeds Day Sunday, March 15 Rabbi Mindy Portnoy, rabbi emerita of Temple Sinai and adjunct rabbi at Beth El, spoke at the Daniel Mann Literary Luminary Event on Sunday, January 25. In her talk, “Behind the Bima: The Inner Literary Life of a Rabbi,” she offered insights into the reading, study, and writing habits of successful rabbis. Photo by Mitchell Solkowitz Beth El on Twitter and Instagram Don’t use Facebook? Don’t fret. We’ve expanded our social media presence to include Instagram and Twitter. You can find us as @bethelmoco on both sites. Like with Facebook, you don’t need to be a member of either site in order to see our updates - but if you are, feel free to follow us. Visit our Instagram and Twitter pages at instagram.com/bethelmoco and twitter.com/bethelmco respectively. 4 Activities include: • Paper document collection for shredding. Sponsored by the Green Tikkun Committee. Drop off your paper documents in bags or boxes at Beth El from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm. The documents will be collected, stored securely overnight, and shredded the next day at OPSUS Paper Systems. Contributions to the Green Tikkun Fund are welcome but not mandatory. • Blood drive. Sponsored by Men’s Club. An INOVA mobile donation center will be available in the Beth El parking lot from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. • New towel/washcloth collection. Sponsored by Sisterhood’s Social Action Committee to support the Greentree Shelter at the National Center for Children and Women in Bethesda. The shelter is the largest homeless facility in Montgomery County for women and children, with 48 beds and on-site childcare. Greentree serves as a transitional home, providing basic support for families to begin rebuilding their lives. Please participate by bringing new washcloth/bath towel sets to Beth El between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. For more information, contact Geryl Baer at gbaer@bethelmc.org or 301-652-2606, ext. 352. From the Education Director Cheating and the Jewish View By Rabbi Mark Levine Do you remember these cheaters? •Milli Vanilli, the pop group that lip-synched their way to a Grammy Award in 1990. •Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Lance Armstrong, who all reached the pinnacle of their sport by doping. •Jayson Blair, a journalist for The New York Times, who fabricated stories from the comfort of his apartment, describing cities he never visited and quoting people he never met. •The 125 students at Harvard University who cheated on a take-home exam in 2012. •Faculty at University of North Carolina who created fake classes on paper for athletes. Column inches limit the number of high profile cheaters who can be mentioned here, but a comprehensive list might stretch from Earth to the moon. David Callahan, who wrote The Cheating Culture:Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead, ventures that cheating has never been worse. “Societies [that place] the greatest emphasis on getting rich…tend to be societies with the greatest amount of cheating,” writes Callahan. He notes that pressure to excel starts when children are young, with many parents wrangling to get their toddlers into the “best” preschools. As their children grow up, these parents preach diligence and industriousness ( זְ ִרזוּת- z’rizut - an important Jewish value), but they diminish its sacred value by communicating a successat-all-costs mentality. They demand hard work in expectation of perfect grades in honors or Advance Placement courses; they urge involvement in multiple extracurricular activities in hopes of impressing college admissions officers. “For young people, the pressure is greater than ever, and the competition is greater than ever,” says Callahan. “It makes cheating in school an attractive option.” Not surprisingly, therefore, the Educational Testing Service reports between 75 and 98 percent of college students surveyed each year report having cheated in high school. One interesting finding demands our attention. In the past, students with below average grades cheated more often, but today, it’s the above-average, college-bound students who are cheating. Mastering the value of z’rizut puts us in charge of our lives. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recounts the first time he met the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Schneerson z”l. In introducing himself, Rabbi Sacks qualified a comment by referring to “the situation in which I find myself.” Rabbi Schneerson replied pointedly, “A Jew doesn’t find himself in a situation. He puts himself in a situation.” This, says Rabbi Sacks, is z’rizut. Yet, the tradition cautions us to balance our enthusiasm and zeal. The outcome of our actions isn’t the sole reward. Rabbi Tarfon teaches, “You are not expected to complete the task, but neither are you free to avoid it” (Pirkei Avot 2:21). We should be alert for opportunities and avoid idleness but remember that even a small contribution is meaningful. Judaism extols זְ ִרזוּתas the foundation of all other character traits (middot). Without energy and enthusiasm, diligence and industriousness, we won’t make the effort to give tzedakah or engage in gemilut hasadim (deeds of loving kindness); we’ll sit back lazily and assume someone else will do it. $18 per person / $20 at the door $10 per student $50 family max What’s the Jewish View? Family Discussion 1. Share examples of when zeal turns into zealotry. 2. Share personal experiences when your enthusiasm might have led to negative behavior. How might you have refrained from the bad behavior? 3. Discuss times when you’ve seen others cheating in school. What did you do? 4. Have you been tempted to cheat? What can you do to still the inner voice that urges you to cheat? 5. Do you feel pressure to excel in work or school? Discuss the causes of the pressure and how it might be relieved. n Spring Concert featuring EZUZ Jewish World Music with a Universal Spirit Sunday, April 19, 4:00 pm Bender Sanctuary Register online: bethelmc.org/ezuz 5 Men’s Club World Wide Wrap UPCOMING MEN’S CLUB EVENTS Sunday, March 1, 10:00 am Purim Carnival setup. There will be no breakfast. Thursday, March 5, 8:30 pm Hearing Men’s Voices. Ben Bronheim will lead a discussion on “Our Experiences of Jewish Life in Other Countries.” All men are welcome. Sunday March 8, 10:00 am Jay Miller, a Beth El member, will speak about the complexities of the Hebrew calendar in his talk, “The Sun, the Moon, and the Mishnah.” Sunday, March 15, 10:00 am Martin Sieff, congregant, chief global analyst at The Globalist Research Center, and author, will discuss the Islamic State, including such questions as who they are, how dangerous they are, and how they might be prevented from becoming a greater threat. Sunday, March 22, 10:00 am Howard Feibus, a congregant who for the past 30 years has been studying ways to control global climate change, will discuss a recent National Academy of Sciences report on the use of geoengineering to control the increase in global temperature. Sunday, March 29, 10:00 am Michael Pack, president of Manifold Productions, will discuss his film Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power, which recently premiered on Maryland Public Television. Rabbi Harris helps Hersh Alexander (right) lay tefillin as part of the World Wide Wrap at morning minyan on Sunday, February 1. Photo by Mitchell Solkowitz Michael Pack on Rickover Sunday, March 29, 10:00 am Michael Pack will speak about the film he produced, Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power, which recently aired on Maryland Public Television. The film traces the career of Admiral Hyman Rickover, a controversial, often flamboyant leader who created the nuclear U.S. Navy. Michael Pack will show clips from the movie, discuss its making, and answer questions at the Men’s Club lecture. Beth El Men’s Club Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay Friday, April 24, 9:30 am-4:30 pm Kent Island across Bay Bridge (one-hour drive from Bethesda) The Independence with Captain Joey Sadler. Ship limit is 18 people. Men’s Club will supply drinks and nosh food. To sign up or for more information, contact Cary Feldman at CaryF@ftlf.com. Israel Framed Attendees peruse silent auction items at Family Sports Night on January 25. Guests included a variety of local celebrities such as Washington Capitals announcer Joe Beninati and Olympic hopefuls Luca and Gigi Becker. Photo by Lee Shekter 6 When you need affordable gifts for birthdays, weddings, engagements, b’nai mitzvot, and other occasions, go to www.Israelframed.com and make your selections from magnificent Israeli art prints and canvases. Beth El Sisterhood will profit from your purchases and pass the profit on to the synagogue. Please be sure to use checkout code BethEl5775. Contact Ina Young at inayoung@verizon.net for more info. Sisterhood Sisterhood Wear and Share a Memory Event UPCOMING SISTERHOOD/ZHAVA EVENTS Sunday, April 19, 10:30 am to noon Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 6:30 pm Mah jongg Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm Home of Rachel Pomerance Berl. Shabbat afternoon coffee and conversation with Rebekah Harris. RSVP to rpomerance@ gmail.com. Sunday, March 15, 9:00 am-1:00 pm Good Deeds Day. Towel drive for Greentree Shelter. (See page 4.) Sunday, March 22, 5:30 pm Sisterhood/Zhava Women’s Seder Sunday, March 29, 9:30 am Sisterhood Board meeting Shabbat Afternoon Coffee and Conversation with Rebekah Harris Prepping for Passover: Make it Meaningful, Not Maddening Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm at the home of Rachel Pomerance Berl RSVP to rpomerance@gmail.com. For Rosh Hodesh Iyar Do you have a treasured piece of jewelry, a special china dish from your grandmother, or a cherished article of clothing that holds a memory of a loved one? Join Sisterhood as together we find ways to incorporate these prized possessions into our lives. Bring a memorable item and share its story. RSVP to Wynne Sitrin and Margi Kramer at Sisterhoodevent@bethelmc.org. Seeking Sisterhood Board Members Help Sisterhood grow and expand by becoming a board member for 2015-2016. Board members meet new women, make new friends, support Beth El, and develop new skills. Interested? Contact Holly Stein for more information at hhstein@comcast.net or 301-593-7297. Beth El Sisterhood/Zhava Annual Women’s Seder Join us and sing and dance with timbrels • Featuring music performed by the women of Calliope Sunday, March 22, 5:30 pm $36 per Sisterhood/Zhava Member; $40 per non-member* • The Seder fills up quickly - sign up early! • Responses received after seating has filled (or after March 12) will be placed on a wait list • In the spirit of community, the Women’s Seder is open seating • No phone reservations or payment at the door • Please bring toiletries (any size) and money for tzedakah Questions? Contact Phyllis Solomon at phylsolomon4@gmail.com, Sheryl Isaacs at bobsherylisaacs@aol. com, or Heather Janssen at heathergjanssen@gmail.com. *Please join Sisterhood/Zhava with all their benefits for $36, and pay the member price for the Women’s Seder. Beth El Women’s Seder Reservation Please mail reservation form and check to Beth El, Attn: Sisterhood Seder, 8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. Reservations can also be made online at www.bethelmc.org/sisterhoodseder. Name and guest names (limit: 2 guests) ______________________________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________ Phone _________________________________________ # of Sisterhood/Zhava members @ $36 ______ # of Non-members @ $40 ______ Total amount of check $ ________ (made out to Beth El Sisterhood) Number of vegetarian meals requested: _______ (Please note that the Seder meal is pescatarian) For questions about reservations, please contact Sue Kanter at kanterdsw@aol.com or 301-365-2125. 7 Submitted by Jerry Danoff The Accident Two cars bumped into each other at the intersection. When the drivers got out, one was a priest, one a rabbi. The priest said, “It is a shame about the accident, but fortunately, we both seem to be unharmed.” The rabbi replied, “Yes, you are right. Look! In the back of my car – a bottle of Mogen David survived the crash. Let’s have a drink to our good health.” He found two cups. After filling one with wine, he handed it to the priest. “To our health and good fortune,” the priest said, as he drained his cup. “Wait, Rabbi. Aren’t you also going to drink to our health?” “Of course,” the rabbi answered, as a siren sounded in the distance. “But I’ll wait until after the accident report.” Overcrowded House The farmer in the small shtetl was having a tough time in his little home. He went to the rebbe and said, “Dear Rebbe, please help me. My house is so small. I have four children, my wife, and her parents. What can I do?” The rebbe thought a moment and said, “Do you have any ducks and chickens?” “Yes, I do.” “Then bring them into the house. Come see me again in a week.” A week passed; the man returned to the rebbe and said, “This is not helping. Please advise me.” The rebbe said, “Do you have goats?” “Yes, I do.” “Bring the goats into the house.” A week later, the man, more miserable than ever, approached the rebbe, “This is unbearable. How can I live like this?” The rebbe said, “You have a cow. Move the cow into the house. Then see me in a week.” The man returned, crying, a week later, “Rebbe, I cannot continue. My life is a disaster. What should I do now?” The rebbe answered, “Remove the cow from the house, take the goats outside, return the ducks and chickens to the yard. Then bother me no further.” A week later, the man ran into the rebbe. He smiled and said, “Rebbe, you are brilliant. I did all that you said to do. My house has never been larger!” Sisterhood Talk Two women were talking before the Sisterhood meeting. “My son at college is so brilliant. Every time I get a letter from him, I have to go to the dictionary,” said one. “You’re lucky. Every time I get a letter from my son, I have to go to the bank,” the other replied. Western Wall A newspaper reporter approached a man as he prayed at the Western Wall. “Dear sir, what do you pray for?” “I pray that my children will find jobs, that they will respect their parents, and that all will find peace and contentment.” “Does God answer your prayers?” “Oy, it’s like talking to a wall.” Creating Life Science had advanced so much that humankind decided they no longer needed God. “We can do anything ourselves now; even create life.” When God heard this, He descended from the heavens and said, “We will see about this. Send Me your greatest scientist.” When the scientist approached God, God said, “All right, we will have a contest. Show me how you can create life.” “Of course,” the scientist answered, and he began to scrape together a pile of dirt. “Oh no,” God said. “You have to use your own dirt.” 8 Fateful Poker Game The four men at Deerfield Park in Florida were playing in their weekly poker game. Bennie, who wasn’t doing too well in the game that day, suddenly grabbed at his chest and collapsed on the floor, dead. “Oy, what should we do?” said Sammy. “Someone needs to tell Sylvia, his wife.” They drew cards, and Arnie with the low card got the sad job of going to tell Sylvia. A half hour later he returned and said he had completed his task. “How did you tell her?” asked Sol. “Well, when she came to the door, I said, ‘Sylvia, I have some bad news. At our card game today, Bennie lost $500. He’s afraid to come home. What should I tell him?’ ‘Tell him, he should drop dead!’ she answered.’ ‘OK,’ I said, and left.” Jewish Submitted by Judy and Stanley Baldinger HUMOR Jewish “Afterlife” There's a Jewish joke that says there's no Heaven or Hell. We all go to the same place when we die, where Moses and Rabbi Akiva give constant and everlasting classes on the Bible and the Talmud. For the righteous, this is eternal bliss; for the wicked, this is eternal suffering. (from an article by Elon Gilad in HaAretz) From Bad to Worse As the rabbi sat deep in thought, a youth came before him and said, “Rabbi, I want to confess – I’m guilty of a great sin. I failed to say grace one day last month.” “Tsk-tsk,” murmured the rabbi. “How can a Jew eat without saying grace?” “How could I say grace, Rabbi, when I hadn’t washed my hands?” “Oy vey!” wailed the rabbi. “How can a Jew swallow a mouthful without first washing his hands?” “But you see, Rabbi, the food was not kosher.” “Not kosher! How can a Jew eat food that is not kosher?” “But Rabbi, how in the world could it be kosher? It was in the home of a Gentile.” “What! You miserable apostate! How could you eat in the house of a Gentile?” “But Rabbi, no Jew was willing to feed me!” “That is a wicked lie!” cried the rabbi. “Who has ever heard of a Jew refusing food to anybody who is hungry?” “But Rabbi,” argued the youth. “It was Yom Kippur!” (from A Treasury of Jewish Folklore by Nathan Ausubel) Oy vey! Submitted by Kathy Matty Tropical Island Three men – an Irishman, an Italian, and a Jew – are stranded on a hot, tropical island. With no supplies, food or drink, and the future looking very grim, the Irishman says, “I’m so thirsty, I must have a beer!” The Italian says, “I’m so thirsty, I must have a glass of wine!” The Jew replies, “I’m so thirsty, I must have diabetes!” My Son the President A Jewish mother gets a phone call from her son. “Mom, I just won the election! I am going to be the first Jewish president. The swearing-in ceremony is next month.” “But I have nothing to wear!” “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll send you to a dressmaker.” “But I only eat kosher food!” “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll make sure you have something to eat.” “But how will I get there?” “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll send a car for you.” On the day of the swearing-in, the proud mother of the president-elect is seated among the most important people in the government. Looking over at her son about to take the oath of office, she nudges the person next to her and says, “You see that man over there with his hand on the Bible? His brother’s a doctor!” Mah Jongg Presidential Material The time is at hand when the wearing of prayer shawl and skullcap will not bar a man from the White House – unless, of course, the man is Jewish. (from Jules Farber in The Big Book of Jewish Humor) Four Jewish friends are playing mah jongg. The first one takes a tile, sighs, and says, “Oy.” The second one follows and says, “Oy vey.” The third does the same, and says, “Oy, vey is meir!” To which the fourth replies, “I thought we weren’t going to talk about our children!” 9 Purim at Beth El! Megillah Madness 2015 Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 pm PURIM SCHEDULE Sunday, March 1, 10:45-11:45 am Bit O’Megillah for families with children in K-2nd grade Sunday, March 1, 11:45 am – 2:45 pm Annual Purim Carnival hosted by Beth El Men’s Club Wednesday, March 4, 7:30 pm Megillah Madness: Sing- a-long Sound of Purim Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 pm The Whole Megillah Thursday, March 5, 7:00 am Morning Minyan including Did you ever wish you could be in Megillah Madness, but didn’t have the time? Maybe felt you weren’t ready for that solo performance? Or perhaps you suffer from a touch of stage fright? Well hold onto your new sanctuary seat — we’ve got some great news for you: Megillah reading. The Whole Megillah Wednesday, March 4, 8:00 pm Megillah Madness 2015 will give you a chance to follow the lyrics on the screen as you sing-a‐long to the best songs from all the previous Megillah Madnesses! Join us in the Swoff Chapel for Ma’ariv followed by the full Megillah reading. It’s a fun, interactive Megillah Madness like you’ve never experienced before! Costumes encouraged. Bit O’Megillah (for families with children in K-2nd grade) Sunday, March 1, 10:45-11:45 am The Not-Quite-Ready-for-theSanctuary Players are proud to present “The Purim Story According to Sesame Street” Sunday, March 1, 11:45 am–2:45 pm Hosted by Men’s Club Come for games, prizes, food, magician, face painting, caricatures, and more. Carnival Tickets 5/$2, 25/$10 in advance 2/$1, 20/$10 at the door 10 Library Corner Humor and Pathos, Soviet Style By Robin Jacobson In the literary world, Soviet Jews are everywhere. The last year alone saw such a bumper crop of novels and memoirs by Soviet Jewish émigrés that the Forward named 2014 “the Year of the Soviet Jew.” Two of my favorites from this émigré genre are The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis and A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman. Betrayers won the National Jewish Book Award in Fiction for 2014, and Replacement Life was a finalist. Both novels are suspenseful, engrossing, and provocative in portraying characters facing difficult dilemmas. The Betrayers Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1973, David Bezmozgis moved to Canada in 1980. He is the author of the critically praised Natasha and Other Stories, a collection about Soviet Jews in Toronto, and The Free World, a novel about Soviet Jews stuck in Rome en route to Canada. In The Betrayers, Bezmozgis tells the tale of a Soviet Israeli Jew, Baruch Kotler, modeled loosely on the Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky. Kotler is a high-ranking Israeli Cabinet minister in his early 60s with a heroic past. He endured 13 years in a Soviet prison on trumped-up charges until an international human rights campaign led by his wife, Miriam, won his release. As the novel opens, Kotler faces a crisis. He has publicly opposed an Israeli government decision to dismantle Jewish settlements in the West Bank. To silence him, the prime minister threatens to expose Kotler’s extramarital affair with his young assistant, Leora. Kotler refuses to yield to blackmail, even to protect his family. As the damaging photos appear in the press, Kotler escapes with Leora to the Crimean resort of Yalta, which he remembers fondly from childhood. Fatefully, the couple winds up renting a room in the home of Vladimir Tankilevich, the very man who betrayed Kotler to the KGB. When confronted, Tankilevich defends his false denouncement of Kotler and angrily claims that he, too, was a victim of the Soviet regime. To add to the complexity, Kotler’s soldier son telephones, seeking his father’s blessing to disobey Israeli army orders to evict the settlers. A Replacement Life by Boris Fishman Boris Fishman emigrated from Minsk, Belarus, to Brooklyn in 1988. Only nine years old, he learned English faster than his parents; several years later, they relied on him to apply for Holocaust reparation funds for his grandmother, a survivor of the Minsk ghetto. The experience inspired A Replacement Life, Fishman’s darkly comic debut novel. Slava Gelman, the novel’s narrator, is a 25-year-old aspiring writer, frustrated with his junior staff duties at a Manhattan magazine. Wanting to become truly American, Slava has broken contact with his Soviet émigré family. Then Slava’s grandmother, Sofia, dies. Slava’s grieving grandfather,Yevgeny, draws Slava back to the Soviet enclave in South Brooklyn with a challenging writing assignment. Yevgeny plans to file, in his own name, the application for Holocaust reparation funds sent to Sofia just before she died. He wants Slava to write the application essay. Slava protests, pointing out that, unlike Sofia,Yevgeny does not qualify for reparations; although Yevgeny suffered grievously, he was not in a ghetto, forced labor brigade, or concentration camp, as required. Yevgeny responds fiercely, “Maybe I didn’t suffer in the exact way I need to have suffered . . . but they made sure to kill all the people who did.” Reluctantly, Slava drafts the application and before long has become the “Forger of South Brooklyn,” fabricating Holocaust narratives for his grandfather’s many Soviet émigré friends, all based on elements of Sofia’s experience, partly factual and partly imagined.n Beth El Book Chat The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O’Connor Sunday, April 12, 11:30 am Join us to discuss this extraordinary true story of Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece, stolen during World War II and later recovered by its Jewish owners. A film based on the book and starring Helen Mirren is to be released in April. E-copies and conventional copies are available through libraries and booksellers. For more information, contact Margery London at margerylondon@gmail.com or Robin Jacobson at robinandjim83@gmail.com. 11 Matters of the Heart The Potato: Tuber That Changed the World By Mark Milner We Are Going to Pick Potatoes by Irene Berman is the story of Norwegian Jews who escaped to Sweden during World War II. These were comforting words told to children to allay their fears of leaving home. The potato is also very special to me. My mother loved to tell stories of her childhood in Poland in the cold winters of the 1930s, when her family would sit around the kitchen stove, singing songs and making latkes. A Holocaust survivor, my mother also told me how, in the 1940s, she would briefly escape the labor camp to go into the fields and steal potatoes to bring back to her friends (her “escape” and return possible because only one German soldier guarded 100 women). Growing up in the Bronx, I used to love grating potatoes down to a pulp till my knuckles bled; my mother would say, “dina bludt git tam (your blood adds flavor).” The potato was brought to Europe from South America in the early 16th century. Many feel the potato’s arrival in northern Europe spelled an end to famine and set the template for modern agriculture and the agro-industrial complex. By feeding rapidly growing populations, the potato fueled the rise of the West and the Industrial Age. Let Them Eat Potato Kugel Some historians feel the French Revolution was ignited by famine caused by an unusually cold winter that destroyed the wheat crop. History might have been different if the French church had not labelled the potato the produce of the devil (because the Bible, which often refers to wheat, Kugel Cook-Off Sunday, April 26, 12:15 pm Do you think you make the best kugel? Enter the Kugel Cook-Off! Contestants will prepare their kugels the week of April 20 in the Beth El kitchen. Cooks will then present their finished product to the judges and the congregation during the April 26 luncheon. Everyone is invited to the Kugel Cook-Off on Sunday, April 26. We will serve a dairy lunch to accompany all the kugels available for tasting. Cost for luncheon: Free for kugel contestants, $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 4-12. Children 3 and under are free. For more information, including rules for the Cook-Off and registration for the Cook-Off and the luncheon, visit bethelmc.org/events/kugelcookoff/. 12 never mentions the potato). Who knows what the world would be like now if the French expression had been “Let them eat potato kugel” instead of “Let them eat cake.” The potato, a tuber that grows underground, is inherently more calorically productive than wheat, can grow to an immense size (as much as 25 pounds), and, most importantly, can survive frost. No grain comes close to the productive value of the potato per acreage of soil. Today, the potato has unjustly earned a bad rap due to its starchy makeup (high glycemic index). Many people do not realize that this nutrient-dense tuber is packed with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. One potato meets 2 percent of daily calcium, 51 percent of vitamin C, 9 percent of iron, 30 percent of vitamin B6, 12 percent of magnesium, and 25 percent of potassium needs. Potatoes’ Health Benefits The potato also provides phosphorous, niacin, folate, choline, zinc, and alpha-lipoic acid, a potent agent that combats diabetes. It contains kukoamines that have blood pressurelowering effects. The skin is rich in flavonoids that have antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. The potato is also essentially fat free. Unfortunately, most potatoes are eaten in the form of fries or chips, but a baked potato is an exceptionally healthful, low-calorie, high-fiber food that offers significant cardiovascular protection. Finally, I recommend you play the cheery melody Kartofel zup mit shvomen (potato soup with mushroom). It can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=s7IpxILX6yw. Close your eyes, pretend you are in a 1930s shtetl, and imagine yourself singing joyfully with your family, keeping warm around the kitchen stove, and enjoying the smell of latkes. n Passover Cooking Demonstration with Paula Shoyer Thursday, March 12, 7:00 pm Join us for a Passover cooking demonstration with Paula Shoyer, author of The New Passover Menu. Tickets are $36 and include a copy of Paula’s newest book. For more information, or to volunteer to help with this event, contact Geryl Baer at gbaer@ bethelmc.org or visit bethelmc.org/events/paulashoyer/. The New PASSOVER MENU PAU LA SHO YER AUTHOR OF THE HOLID AY KOSHER BA KER HAMANTASCHEN continued from page 1 fections that as a child I spent many hours baking with her. She had notes indicating which linens she would use and what issues needed to be discussed. for a Purim activity, and then we could distribute them at One East. The first couple of years I baked the hamantaschen at home. Then it dawned on me that there was an Shlach Manis army of Sisterhood women who could help with the baking, Somewhere in this eclectic pile of papers was the hamanand a wonderful intergenerational project was born. For the taschen recipe. What I recalled clearly was preparing past 12 or so years, Sisterhood has provided all the ingredimishloach manot baskets (what she called shlach manis in Yidents as well as the bakers who make about 200-250 hamandish) and accompanying her to a Jewtaschen. Fourth graders place them in ish community settlement house on the mishloach manot. I accompany Delancey Street where we distributed about seven or eight students (with them to elderly men and women. the help of a few parents) to Smith Years later, in the early 1980s when Kogod and Revitz House. she was in her late 80s, my husband, This is not an activity for the Andy, and I brought her to the same child who is faint of heart. Illness rundown building so she could teach a has made some of the residents a craft activity to senior citizens. When I bit scary. Some initially reject the helped her bring the materials inside, I goodies, thinking they must pay for saw that most of the people there were Students delivering mishloach manot them. Most, however, are appreciato Hebrew Home last year much younger than she. tive. Cheeks get pinched and photos In the 1990s, Beth El had “adopted” taken. A trifecta of mitzvot are simulOne East (a unit of the Smith Kogod building of the Hetaneously fulfilled: bikur cholim (visiting the sick), kibud zibrew Home). Congregant families volunteered to visit a kaynim (honoring the elderly), and mishloach manot. Several resident who did not have family in the area. My family was of my students have returned to fulfill this mitzvah year after assigned a woman named Florence. We brought her hard year. Sisterhood uses my grandmother’s recipe for the dough, candies and the bow-tie flaky pastry that she loved from although I shudder to think of her reaction to our using Katz Supermarket. My kids played checkers with her. Mostly, store-bought fillings. she wanted to talk. At Purim, we brought her hamantaschen I like to think that it was she who planted the seeds of (also from Katz). my involvement in social action and my success in recruiting Sisterhood Bakers Jewish people of all ages in fulfilling mitzvot. Like Nanny, Years later, I became involved with social action and SisterI have a green thumb, and I love beautiful tablecloths. Alhood. Once I started teaching at the Religious School, I had though I don’t make watercress soup, I do make hamanthe idea that my students could assemble mishloach manot taschen, and I use her recipe (mostly). n Nanny Henriette Sternberg’s Hamantaschen Dough: 2/3 cup margarine or butter ½ cup plus 2 Tbl sugar 1 large egg 2 tsp vanilla 2 ½ cup unbleached flour (more if dough is sticky) dash salt ½ tsp baking powder Filling: ¾ cup pitted prunes 1/3 cup seedless raisins ¼ cup water ¼ cup shelled walnuts ¼ cup sliced apple with peel juice and rind of 1 lemon 2 Tbl sugar Dough: Cream margarine or butter with sugar. Add egg and vanilla and continue creaming until mixture is light and fluffy. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Roll thin on a floured board (add more flour if dough is too sticky to roll). Cut the rolled dough into circles using a round cookie cutter or a glass. Fill with about 1 teaspoon filling and pinch sides together to form a triangle. Filling: Simmer prunes, raisins, and water for 5 minutes or until prunes are softened. Add nuts, apples, lemon juice, rind, and sugar. Put the mixture through a grinder or food processor. Mix well. Place hamantaschen on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for best results. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. 13 Beth El fifth graders in Marilyn Fine’s and Judy Haven’s classes created this fun puzzle. For more Purim fun, visit the Beth El website: bethelmc.org/scroll. Jewish People Are Funny! LAUGHS 4U! Directions: Below are riddles about 18 funny Jewish people. Using the answer box below, fill in the answer to each riddle. When you’ve filled in all of the right answers, you’ll find a hidden message about what all of the people have in common. 1. Creator and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 2. Voice of the Kung Fu panda __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 3. Did a duet with Justin Timberlake and played in Hotel Transylvania __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 4. Hosted The Daily Show __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 5. Female writer and performer on Saturday Night Live and wrote autobiography __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 6. Larry, Moe, and Curly __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 7. Recent project was 22 Jump Street. Academy Award nominee twice. First name is Biblical. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 8. Cast member on Saturday Night Live, starred in many movies, and wrote a funny Hanukkah song __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 9. Hosted the Academy Awards and appeared on Jay Leno’s first and last Tonight Shows __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 10. Wrote TV jokes and scripts in 1950s. First movie was What’s New Pussycat? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 11. Made a parody of Star Wars and appeared in each movie he directed __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 12. Co-produced the 2000 animated film, Bee Movie __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 13. Female who won an Emmy for appearances on Saturday Night Live __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 14. Played the night guard in Night at the Museum and White Goodman in Dodgeball __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 15.Real first and middle names, Jay Scott, were blended to create the first part of his stage name. Appeared on Seinfeld. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 16. Won a Grammy Award for album of The 10,000 Year Old Man __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 17. Voiced characters for Horton Hears a Who and The Simpsons __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 18. A family comedy act of the 20th century __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Hidden message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ANSWER CHOICES: Jason Alexander, Woody Allen, Jack Black, Mel Brooks , Billy Crystal, Larry David, Jonah Hill, The Marx Brothers, Gilda Radner, Carl Reiner, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, The Three Stooges Answers to Jewish People Are Funny Riddles 1. Larry David • 2. Jack Black • 3. Andy Samberg • 4. Jon Stewart • 5. Sarah Silverman •6. The Three Stooges • 7. Jonah Hill • 8. Adam Sandler •9. Billy Crystal • 10. Woody Allen •11. Mel Brooks •12. Jerry Seinfeld • 13. Gilda Radner •14. Ben Stiller • 15. Jason Alexander •16. Carl Reiner • 17. Seth Rogen • 18. The Marx Brothers Hidden Message: Jewish Comedians 14 Congregational Seder The Congregational Seder, conducted by Rabbi Rudolph, will be held on Saturday, April 4, at 7:00 pm, in the Bender Social Hall. I/We would like to make the following reservations: _____Adults and Teens @ $46 $________ _____Nonmember Adults and Teens @ $56 $________ _____Children 7-12 @ $27 $________ _____Children 2-6 @ $18 $________ _____Children under 2 no charge Total Due $________ Adult Name(s)_______________________________________________________________ Child Name(s) and age(s) ______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Phone _________________________ Email _____________________________________ Please provide _______ vegan meals. Food Allergies? _____________________________ Do You Have Extra Room at Your Seder Table? If you would like to perform the mitzvah of hachnassat orchim (welcoming of guests) and open your home to one or more individuals for a Seder, or if you would like to be invited to the home of another congregant for a Seder, please contact Hattie Goodman in the Beth El office at hgoodman@bethelmc.org or 301-652-2606, ext. 301. Please try to seat us/me with: __________________________________________________ Reservations must be accompanied by a check and sent to Beth El, Attn: Seder. Reservations are limited and due by Friday, March 20, or the first 150 people, whichever comes first. No Refunds or Phone Reservations! Café Pesach Tired of eating in every night of the holiday? Come enjoy a delicious meal at Beth El following the Erev Yom Tov Service at 6:30 pm Thursday, April 9, 7:00 pm Paid reservations for Café Pesach are due by Thursday, March 26 RETURN TO SYNAGOGUE OFFICE 8215 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 Please make checks payable to Congregation Beth El Family name(s)___________________________________ _______________________________________________ Phone__________________________________________ # Member Adults and Teens @$25 Total $________ # Nonmember Adults @ $28 Total $________ # Children (ages 6-12) @ $12 Total $________ # Children (ages 2-5) @ $8 Total $________ Total due $__________ Maximum charge per member household is $74. Number of vegan entrees? _____ Food allergies? __________________________________ _______________________________________________ Please try to seat me/us with ______________________ _______________________________________________ Pesach Yizkor Book Listing Our Pesach Yizkor Book will be available at the morning Festival services on Saturday, April 11. Please complete and mail the form below without delay. Please PRINT or TYPE the form to avoid errors. _____I/We are enclosing a contribution to Congregation Beth El of $__________ Please check one: _____I/We would like to use the same listing(s) from the 2014 Yom Kippur Yizkor Book. _____I/We did not have a listing in the 2014 Yom Kippur Yizkor Book. Please include the names listed below in the Pesach Yizkor Book. _____I/We had a listing in the 2014 Yom Kippur Yizkor Book and would like to have that listing plus the following names: In Memory Of ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Remembered By Name _______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________ Please return this form by Thursday, March 26. 15 Pesach Guidelines The Pesach Guidelines column that used to be published in the Scroll has been updated by the Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Jewish Law and Standards. It is lengthier than past versions. Rather than abbreviate it for the Scroll, we encourage you to go directly to the Rabbinical Assembly website, rabbinicalassembly.org, and click on Jewish Law/Kashrut/Pesach Guide 5775. If you have any questions, please consult with Rabbi Rudolph or Rabbi Harris. Have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends and the congregation. Selling of the Chametz During the week of Passover, it is forbidden, according to Jewish tradition, to eat chametz or even to own the chametz that has been put away in your home. Therefore, we annually observe the custom of Mechirat Chametz, selling the chametz to someone who is not bound by Jewish law. If you would like to have Rabbi Rudolph sell your chametz, please mail the following form so that it is received by 9:00 am on Friday, April 3, or drop it off in the Rabbi’s office prior to that time. I, ____________________________________________, hereby authorize Rabbi Bill Rudolph to sell my chametz before Passover, Friday, April 3, according to Jewish law. Signature _________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________ __I enclose a donation for Maot Chittim, feeding the hungry. Please make checks payable to Congregation Beth El. Siyyum for the Firstborn The annual Siyyum for the Firstborn will be held on Friday, April 3, at 7:15 am. Morning Minyan will include a brief study session so that the firstborn can eat that day, and a special breakfast honoring our firstborn will follow. Our sincere thanks to Debby and Menachem Shoham, who are sponsoring the Siyyum in memory of Sy and Barbara Wolf, Abraham and Sarah Krupsaw, Abraham and Dora Wolf, and Israel Shoham. Contributions Donations made from December 27 to January 26 Annual Campaign By: Erik and Ann Lichter, Brian and Judy Liss, David Berl and Rachel Pomerance Berl, Steve Ebbin, Thomas Helf and Michelle Brafman, Naava Ellis, Gail and Stan Jutkowitz, and Eleanor Frishman In Honor Of: Rabbi Rudolph by Judith Zassenhaus Beth El Forest In Memory Of: Sam Saady by Esther Isralow and Rita and Irv Weiss Simone Schofer by Julia Copperman Warren Greenberg by Debby and Menachem Shoham Aaron Zuckermann by Naomi Greenwood and Thomas Dahl Libbie Gussow by Rita and Irv Weiss My beloved husband, Samuel Saady, by Rose Saady Herbert Wiser by Lucy Ozarin Beth El Israel Fund In Memory Of: Jonathan Avnisan, brother of Varda Nowitz, by Barbara and Alan Gold Warren Greenberg, beloved husband of Judith Greenberg, by Judith and Jonathan Levin, Iris and Julian Tishkoff, Hope and Phil Borish, and Ilene and David Jacobowitz Cantor’s Fund In Honor Of: Hazzan Klein’s support following the death of our beloved mother, Phyllis Seresky, by Rhonda and Richard Brandes Hazzan Klein, for conducting the funeral service for beloved Sam Saady, by Rose Saady and family Hazzan Matthew Klein by Craig Yokum Sylvia and David Silver by Michael Cernea In Memory Of: Vicki DeGutz by Bert and Judy Spector 16 Please remember that contributions can be made easily, quickly, and securely via our webpage – www.bethelmc.org Ben Kirsch by Laurence S. and Celia Goldman Kirsch Harold (Bernard) Fink, father of Michael Fink, by Ellen and David Epstein Gordon Weil, brother-in-law of Sandy Lubin, by Rita and Irwin Kopin My father, Maurice Horowitz, by Rita Liebowitz Chevra Kadisha Fund In Memory Of: Paul H. Press, father of Ann Barcome, by Ann and Bruce Barcome Herb Wiser by Judith and Jonathan Levin Samuel and Esther Bonus by Iris and Julian Tishkoff Fine Arts Fund In Memory Of: Reba Hirsh by Jonathan and Sandra Simon General Fund By: Howard and Susan D. Feibus, Leslie and Joseph Kessler, Robert Adelstein, David and Louise Kahaner, William and Paula Wyman, Suzanne Stone, Gary, Julie, Siddy and Maddy Greenstein, Eugene and Amy Goott, and Robert and Heather Janssen In Honor Of: Rabbi Rudolph, Rabbi Harris, and Hazzan Klein for their kindness following the death of my husband, Warren Greenberg, by Judith Greenberg Rabbi Rudolph, Hazzan Klein, and Rabbi Harris, for their support following the death of my mother, Barbara Balsam, by Steven and Jennifer Hirsch Edoardo Kulp, Leesa Fields, Susan Kitt, Ken and Lisa Handelman, Arielle Grill, David Topol, Susan Stillman, Brent Berger, and Kay Klass, for community service at Capital Camps by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Michael Pollack, for participation in High Holiday service by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Contributions Continued Jenny Fink on her engagement by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Jenna Farber’s bat mitzvah by Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch Maren Beatrix Rosenstein’s naming by Shelley Caplan and Brad Statter Wedding of Jamie Hanley and Evan Susser by Margie and Joe Hoffman Birth of Maya Lilly, daughter of Aaron and Keren Niedermayer, and first grandchild of Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, by Beth El Opera Havurah Sig Shapiro, beloved husband of Carolyn and father of Sarah Shapiro, by Ellen Tillman David and Eve Farber for the new Capital Camps siddur, by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Tali Kuperberg becoming a bat mitzvah by the Bachrachs Noah Kuperberg becoming a bar mitzvah by the Bachrachs Evan Krame’s ordination by Sid and Janet Getz, Margie and Joe Hoffman, and Rob Fersh and Sharon Markus Beth El community by Lee and Alicia Shekter My grandchildren by Ruthellen Harris Jamie and Jan Maxwell, Brian Barke, and Joel Zuckerman, for their extraordinary service by Judy, Craig, and Michael Futterman Kathy Hooley on her years of service to Beth El and on her retirement by Glenda Koby and Bruce Spiegel and Margie and Joe Hoffman B’nai mitzvah of Sam and Ben Topol by Margie and Joe Hoffman Carson Wine’s bar mitzvah by Margie and Joe Hoffman Paula, Bill, David, and Eric Whyman by Susan and Max Bronstein Peter Novick’s leadership by Tutti and Jose Sokol Gail Fribush on her Golda Meir Award from Sisterhood by Leesa Fields and Jonathan Band In Memory Of: Fannye Rose Gold by Harvey and Dale Gold Leo Eule, brother of Norman Eule, by Jack and Stephanie Ventura, Rita and Irwin Kopin, Jose and Tutti Sokol, Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, and Ann and Bruce Barcome Jordan Walerstein by Faith Walerstein Ira W. Pearlman by Sandra Pearlman My beloved husband, Herbert Harvey, by Lila Harvey Sam Saady by Nancy Garnitz, Miriam Lieblein, Audrey Merwin and Barry Grossman, Jack and Stephanie Ventura, and Edoardo and Susan Kulp Mother of Phyllis Sabot by Margie and Joe Hoffman Herbert Shapiro, father of Margie Hoffman, by Margie and Joe Hoffman Ruth Bloom, mother of Leonard Bloom, by Ephraim and Ruth Levin Beatrice Gilbert by Robert Gilbert Edward Fohrman by Elizabeth Fohrman Simon Anne L. Margulies by David H. Margulies Flora Askin by Sara Lieberman Barney, Dorothy, Andrew, and Mary Press, and Thelma Van Velzen and James Weiss by Ted Press Leonard Saxe by Barbara and Marvin Kotz Mervyn Jeffries, husband of Marcia Jeffries, by Margie and Joe Hoffman Henry Berger, my father-in-law, by Bea Berger Stanley W. Doroff by Mark Doroff Phyllis Posnick, mother of Lauren Robin, by Ellen and David Epstein Warren Greenberg by Laurie Alban Havens, Jose and Tutti Sokol, Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, Herbert and Nancy Rosenthal, Robert Fersh and Sharon Markus, and Norman Schiff Beloved father, Irving Schultz, by David J. Schultz Harry Wallerstein, father of Gloria Derkay, by Gloria and Lee Derkay Marilyn Nagel Gillman by Todd Gillman Nathan Avnisan by Marc Silver and Marsha Dale Chaim Yeshayahu by Mike Getz Liebe Bloch by Mike Getz Hodel Leia by Mike Getz Irene Jerison by Jonathan Jerison Libbie Gussow, wife of Milton Gussow, by Jack and Johanna Minker, and Barbara and Charles Vengrove Miriam Carter by Dora Weinstein Sidney Hoffman, father of Howard Hoffman and grandfather of Adam Hoffman, by Robert Fersh and Sharon Markus and Ellen and David Epstein Leontyne Fuchs, grandmother of Howard Stein, by Howard and Holly Stein Alex and Annie Levine by David and Jacquelyn Levine Max and Rae Toback by Marilyn Wallerstein Elaine Silverman Gessow College Activities Fund In Memory Of: Jeanette Rosing by Barbara and Douglas Rosing Toni Bloom by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo Green Tikkun Fund In Honor Of: Michael Katz by Bill Kapner Hanukkah Wish List By: Dov and Sharon Margolis Apfel Israel Experience Teen Fund In Honor Of: The Berger family and the b’nai mitzvah of Noah and Daniel by Alan Levine Kesher Nashim Fund In Memory Of: Ellie G. Hazan and Phyllis Sultan by Danielle and Evan Sultan Leonard Hendel by Linda Posilkin Kimball Nursery School Fund By: Jo and Arnie Sohinki In Memory Of: Bill and Bernice Gold by Walter L. Gold Leadership/Education Fund In Honor Of: Ordination of Evan Krame by Yael Greenberg, Brenda and Jim Schmand, and Leslie and Joe Kessler Gail Fribush, recipient of the 2015 Golda Meir Award, by Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman Library Fund In Honor Of: Samuel and Benjamin Topol’s b’nai mitzvah by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Our four daughters, for their devotion to their beloved father, by Rose Saady In Memory Of: Eleanor Feinstein by Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Merry Klass by Kay Klass 17 Contributions Continued Samuel Orenstein by Alan Orenstein Beatrice Stern Feldman by Elliot J. Feldman Semeon Nusinovich by Gregory and Yelena Nusinovich Litman Holocaust Education Fund By: Ben and Ruth Cohen In Memory Of: Eleanor Feinstein, mother of Michael Feinstein, by Bob and Margie Litman My beloved mother and aunt, Edith Orban and Lillian Stranszky, by Annamarie Sokoly Masorti In Memory Of: Pauline Resnick by Bernard Resnick Mazon In Honor Of: Dear friends, Carol and Sid Hurlburt, for their help by Parker O’Shea In Memory Of: Meyer Zuravin by Hugh V. Sickel Warren Greenberg, good friend, by Barbara and David Fishback Men’s Club Perspectives in Dialogue Fund In Memory Of: Samuel Frishman by Eleanor Frishman Norton Nepo by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo Mintz Landscaping Fund In Memory Of: Sig Shapiro by Helena Koenig Sam Saady by Helena Koenig Morning Minyan Fund In Honor Of: Worship and Study Minyan by Karen Eppsteiner Shabbat Early Morning Minyan by Joseph and Evalyn Basloe Peter Novick, for the Shabbat Early Morning Minyan, by David and Carole Metzger Peter Novick, for leading the shiva minyan for Sam Saady, by Rose Saady In Memory Of: Isaac Kossman, my father, by Mary Dubrow Leo Eule by Mark and Blanche Wine My father, Allen Lesser, by Howard Lesser Doris and Joseph Miller and Sigmund and Rosalind Clayman by Robert Clayman and Carol Miller My beloved mother, Martha Geller, by Suzanne Strauss Henry Gichner by Sue and John Rosenthal Frank Ochman by Mark and Joanne Weinberg David Weinberg by Mark and Joanne Weinberg Herb Wiser by Mark and Joanne Weinberg Harry Mannheimer by Laura Mannheimer Martin Mermelstein by Estee Portnoy My mother, Anita “Peggy” Levinson, by Karen Levinson Loving father and grandfather, Max Cohen, by Barbara S. Spitzer Esther Band and Meyer Marcus by Marlene and Lawrence Marcus Melvin and Mildred Wine by Mark and Blanche Wine Prayerbook Fund In Memory Of: Beloved brothers, Zeev and Reuven Gendelman, by Boris Gendelman Beatrice F. R. Katz by Linda M. Katz and Donald S. Stein Rabbi’s Fund By: Debbie and Michael Fink, David Goldberg and Alison 18 Rodner, and Robert and Heather Janssen In Honor Of: Rabbi Rudolph and Rabbi Greg Harris by Craig Yokum Rabbi Rudolph’s kindness following the death of our mother, Phyllis Seresky, by Rhonda and Richard Brandes Rabbi Bill Rudolph by Michael Cernea Rabbi Rudolph, for his support following the death of my beloved husband, by Rose Saady and family Rabbi Greg Harris, for his support during this year by June and Rob Falb Rabbi Harris, for officiating at the funeral service for Sam Saady, by Rose Saady and family Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Margie and Bob Litman, Liz Schrayer and Jeff Schwaber, Jack and Stephanie Ventura, and Debbie Vodenos and Sam Boxerman Linda Shapiro, sister of Jeff Moak, by Jeff Moak and Karyl Barron Sabina Shalom by Rita and Irwin Kopin Hannah Chaikin’s bat mitzvah by Adam Chaikin Evan Krame’s ordination by Rita Corwin, Bob and Margie Litman, and Fran and Bobby Watson Bat mitzvah of Rachel Niebler by Dina and Steve Rochkind My parents, Lee and Gloria Derkay, by Lori Derkay Michael Rozosky by Michael Cernea Max Klein’s bar mitzvah by Dina and Steve Rochkind Engagement of Benjamin Bolasny by David and Louise Kahaner In Memory Of: Irene Golden, beloved aunt of Jerome Wernick, by Jerome and Ina Wernick Daniel Kweller and Alex Kweller by Howard Kweller Harold Fink, father of Michael Fink, by Bob and Margie Litman Bertha Gomberg Kirsch by Laurence S. and Celia Goldman Kirsch Freda Lechten by Marjorie Richman Jack Katz by Fran Katz Watson Rachel Asen by Henrietta Asen David Sachs and Robert Sachs by Howard Sachs Judith Kaplan by Donald A. Kaplan Ruth Bloom by Joel and Betsy Popkin Annie R. Sherman by Libby Gordon My loving mother, Florence Becker, by Scott Becker Beloved parents, Helen and Charles Merlin, by Paul and Marcia Merlin Irving Ehrenthal by Thera Swersky Julius Gillman, my beloved father, by Samuel R. Gillman Hyman Jacob Rifkin by Morton and Lillian Davis My husband, Samuel Asen, by Henrietta Asen Samuel Leon Saady by Rosine Nussenblatt and Rita and Irwin Kopin Theresa, Israel, and Daniel Greenberg, by Lois and Jack Roth Tamira, Aleza and Rebecca Dora Datnowitz by Libby Gordon Leo Eule, brother of Norman Eule, by Cary and Nancy Feldman and Tricia and Howard Sachs Irvin Goldstein by Sherlyn Goldstein-Askwith Warren Greenberg, husband of Judith Greenberg, by Jack and Johanna Minker Ida Bronstein, Benjamin Bronstein, and Irene Parker by Paula Whyman Daniel M. Simon by Joel and Joan Simon Papa Morrie by Parker O’Shea Contributions Continued Resnik Memorial Lecture Fund In Honor Of: Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Rhoda Barish and Michael Polis, and Rita and Irwin Kopin Scolnic Adult Institute Fund In Memory Of: Warren Greenberg, husband of Judith Greenberg, by Jack and Stephanie Ventura and Albert Fox My beloved brother, Lawrence Cherkas, by Rhoda Nichaman Senior Caucus In Memory Of: Samuel Saady by Doris L. Povich Irving Nurik by Jody and Alyssa Nurik Ann Drucker by Hellaine and Irwin Nepo My sister, Lucille Rosenblum, by Annette Goldberg Simos Music Fund By: Kenneth Feigenbaum In Memory Of: Max Berzofsky by Jay and Sharon Berzofsky My beloved husband, Albert S. Povich, by Doris L. Povich Sisterhood Kiddush Fund In Honor Of: Gail Fribush receiving the Golda Meir Award by Leonard and Gabriela Bebchick and Barbara and Barry Friedman Jenny Fink’s engagement to Noah Smith by Barbara and Barry Friedman Jill Rider receiving the Torah Fund Award by Barbara and Barry Friedman Gladys Ross becoming a great-grandmother by Barbara and Barry Friedman Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer, on the birth of their granddaughter, Maya Lily Niedermayer, by Barbara and Barry Friedman and Ilene and David Jacobowitz In Memory Of: Libbie Gussow, my friend, by Naomi Levy Benn Friedman by Barry and Barbara Friedman Matilde Colon, mother of Jose Araujo, by Barbara and Barry Friedman Dorothy Waltzer, beloved aunt of Ina Wernick, by Ina and Jerome Wernick My wonderful husband, Irv Nurik, by Margy Nurik Sisterhood Shiva Meal Fund In Memory Of: Irving Nurik by Tracey and Patrick Gallagher Our good friend, John Baer, by Margy Nurik BULLETIN BOARD continued from page 20 Israel Weinstein, my beloved father, by Margy Nurik Libbie Gussow, beloved wife of Milton Gusssow and our longtime friend, by Rita and Irwin Kopin Jean Olwyn Gardner by Lily Gardner Feldman Harold Merber by Marilyn Ripin Sisterhood Torah Fund In Honor Of: Gail Fribush for receiving the Golda Meir Award by Ilene and David Jacobowitz, Ina and Jerome Wernick, and Julia P. Copperman In Memory Of: Jay Golub, my father, by Deborah G. Leibowitz Social Action Fund In Memory Of: George Minker, brother of Jack Minker, by Rita and Irwin Kopin David Barish by Rhoda Barish and Michael Polis Elaine Tanenbaum Religious School Enrichment Fund In Memory Of: Diane Kay by Michael Kay Meyer Raban by Robert Deckelbaum Ruth Bloom, beloved mother and grandmother and our dear friend by Rita and Irwin Kopin Morris Tanenbaum, my brother, by Herb Tanenbaum Sig Shapiro by Rita and Irwin Kopin Samuel Saady by Herb Tanenbaum Torah Scroll Fund In Memory Of: Tom Kalette, my cousin, by Parker O’Shea Mervyn Jeffries by Rabbi Rudolph’s Parasha Class Transportation Fund In Memory Of: Hilda Teitel by Richard Lieberman and Helene Weisz Sam Saady by Carolyn Shapiro and Sarah Shapiro Freda Rosenthal by John and Sue Rosenthal Anna Kramer, mother, by Carolyn Shapiro Weker Family Program Fund In Memory Of: Eva Kopin, beloved mother of Irwin Kopin and grandmother, by Rita and Irwin Kopin World Jewry Fund In Memory Of: Bronya Sheykman by Jolie and Vladimir Lechtman Warren Greenberg by Ann and Bruce Barcome Senior Caucus, Thursday, March 26, noon. Brown Bag lunch. Come and socialize with your friends and enjoy refreshments and dessert. lunch, call Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext.316, or rmunster@bethelmc.org, by Tuesday, March 17. The program is free and begins at 1:00 pm. Senior Caucus–Vatikkim Luncheon Program, Thursday, March 19. Starts with lunch at noon. Following lunch, thanks to the sponsorship of the Washington Performing Arts Women’s Committee, we will enjoy the music of Bruce Hutton, an American folk singer and multi-instrumentalist (plays autoharp, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, lap dulcimer, jaw harp, mouth bow, guitar). Lunch costs $10. To RSVP for Bridge – the greatest game ever! Join us every Monday and Thursday (except the 3rd Thursday) from 12:30 to 4:00 pm. Drop in and join a game; no partner necessary. For information or transportation, contact Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or rmunster@ bethelmc.org. 19 Congregation Beth El Periodicals Postage PAID Bethesda, MD 20814 8215 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, Maryland 20814-1451 While we know you’ll want to read every word in this issue of the Scroll, when you’re finished, please recycle it. Bulletin Board Mazal Tov to Gail Ross and Roy Niedermayer and Gladys Ross on the birth of their granddaughter and great-granddaughter, Maya Lily Niedermayer. Proud parents are Aaron Niedermayer and Keren Mizrahi. Adam and Jaclyn Williamowsky on the birth of their daughter, Arielle Zahava Williamowsky. Proud siblings are Gabriella, Jordan, and Eli. Condolences to José Araujo, Beth El’s building supervisor, on the death of his mother, Matilde Colon The family of Ruth Bloom on her death Sidney Carter on the death of his wife, Miriam Carter Norman and Ellen Eule on the death of Norman’s brother, Leo Eule Michael and Debbie Fink on the death of Michael’s father, Harold (Bernard) Fink Helen B. Friedkin and the Dembo family on the death of her aunt, Dorothy P. Dembo Josh, Aaron, Benjamin, and Abbie Bobeck on the death of their wife and mother, Suzin Glickman, and of their father-in-law and grandfather, Emanuel Glickman The family of Frances Glovinsky on her death Judith Greenberg on the death of her husband, Warren Greenberg Milton (Mickey) Gussow on the death of his wife, Libbie Gussow Rebekah and Rabbi Greg Harris on the death of Re- Send submissions to the Scroll to scroll@bethelmc.org bekah’s grandmother, Mildred Stool Howard Hoffman and Adam Hoffman on the death of their father and grandfather, Sidney Hoffman Marcia Jeffries on the death of her husband, Mervyn Jeffries Larry and Linda Mann on the death of Larry’s mother, Gloria Mann Marleen and Eliezer May on the death of Marleen’s brother, Michael Zuckman Varda Avnisan Nowitz and Richard Nowitz on the death of Varda’s brother, Jonathan Avnisan Lauren and Paul Robin on the death of Lauren’s mother, Phyllis Posnick Rose Saady and Donna Saady on the death of their husband and father, Sam Saady Noteworthy Roundtable with the Rabbi, Wednesday, March 11, 2:00 pm. Please note that because March 4 is a fast day, Roundtable has been moved forward one week. Join us to celebrate March birthdays (yours and those of others) with desserts, coffee, and a lively discussion led by Rabbi Rudolph. Birthday celebrants receive a special invitation, but all are welcome. Dor L’Dor, Thursday, March 5, noon. The Beth El Preschool (BEPS) 4s Class and a group of Beth El seniors blend together to form Dor L’Dor. To participate and share pizza with the preschoolers, RSVP to Susan Bruckheim at 301320-4404 or susan.bruckheim@gmail.com, or to Ricardo Munster at 301-652-2606, ext. 316, or rmunster@bethelmc. continued on page 19 org.